COVID-19 with spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema

Zayet, Souheil; Klopfenstein, Timothee; Mezher, Chaouki; Gendrin, Vincent; Conrozier, Thierry; Ben Abdallah, Yousri

• Complications such as pneumomediastinum and/or pneumothorax during the course of COVID-19 remain rare and their mechanism is poorly described. • We present a case of COVID-19 pneumonia associated with spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema in an immunocompetent patient with no past history of smoking or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). • This is the first case of spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema due to COVID-19 in France. • The only risk factor of this patient was prolonged cough. • We hypothesis the mechanism underlying the pneumomediastinum is the aggressive disease pathophysiology in COVID-19 with an incresead risk of alveolar damage.