Early spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and pneumorrhachis in an adolescent with SARS-CoV-2 infection

D. Buonsenso, A. Gatto, B. Graglia, S. Rivetti, S. Ferretti, F.V. Paradiso, A. Chiaretti

Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Rome, Italy. danilobuonsenso@gmail.com

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• Infectious Diseases

We report a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, emphysema subcutaneous and pneumorrhachis, occurring in an adolescent resulting positive to SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab. At the admission in Emergency Department, the child presented with left cervical and sternal pain, without respiratory symptoms. Radiological studies showed sizeable pneumomediastinum, bilateral apical pneumothorax, massive emphysema subcutaneous and pneumorrhachis. Patients’ clinical conditions stood stable during the monitoring and he only needed conservative management. To our knowledge, this is the first description of spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, emphysema subcutaneous and pneumorrhachis, in a COVID-19 adolescent without concomitant pneumonia.

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