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Lung Cancer Surgery With Persistent COVID-19 Infection
Takahiro Nakagomi1, Taichiro Goto1, Yosuke Hirotsu2
1Lung Cancer and Respiratory Disease Center, Yamanashi Central Hospital, Yamanashi, Japan.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|December 13, 2021
Summary
A patient with COVID-19 and lung cancer experienced fatal interstitial pneumonia exacerbation after surgery. High COVID-19 RNA levels in lung tissue suggest persistent infection risk post-recovery, especially with surgical stress.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Infectious Diseases
- Oncology
Background:
- A 71-year-old male with a history of drug-induced interstitial pneumonia presented with COVID-19 and a concurrent pulmonary mass.
- The patient underwent a right upper lobectomy one month after COVID-19 pneumonia resolution.
Observation:
- Postoperatively, the patient suffered an acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia.
- The patient died on the fifteenth postoperative day.
Findings:
- Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction detected high levels of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RNA in lung parenchyma specimens.
- This indicates potential local persistence of the virus even after clinical resolution of the infection.
Implications:
- Resolved COVID-19 infection may persist locally in the lungs.
- Secondary stressors, such as surgery, can trigger acute exacerbations of interstitial pneumonia in patients with persistent lung infections.
- This case highlights the complex interplay between viral persistence, underlying lung conditions, and surgical interventions.
