Lung complication in COVID-19 convalescence: A spontaneous pneumothorax and pneumatocele case report

An outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that began in Wuhan, China, has spread rapidly all over the world, becoming pandemic according WHO on March 11, 20201. The typical symptoms of COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) can range from mild influenza like syndrome to severe respiratory illness. The elderly population, especially with comorbidities like chronic bronchitis, emphysema, heart failure, or diabetes, is more likely to develop serious illness. Radiographic findings in acute phase of SARS CoV-2 bilateral interstitial pneumonia have been described in several studies. Pilot Computerized Tomography scan studies show lung abnormalities usually reabsorb in 3 weeks without sequelae. Nevertheless, no large studies have done on severity-based chronic lung injury and late pulmonary complications in recovered patients. Pneumothorax and pneumatocele can be two severe lung complications in acute phase and intubated patients, but there is no evidence they can occur during convalescence. We report the first case of a spontaneous pneumothorax due to traumatic (sneeze related) pneumatocele, occurred after recovery from bilateral interstitial pneumonia SARS-Cov-2.