Spontaneous Pneumothorax, Pneumomediastinum, and Subcutaneous Emphysema: Rare Complications in COVID-19 Pneumonia
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Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Lung CT Segmentation to Identify Consolidations and Ground Glass Areas for Quantitative Assesment of SARS-CoV Pneumonia
Published on: December 19, 2020
Ibrar Anjum1, Noor Fatima Almani2, Umer Zia1
1Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States.
Abstract:
COVID-19 pneumonia has several complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, myocarditis, pulmonary embolism, and thromboembolic stroke. We present a case of a 71-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia and was found to have a pneumothorax, spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM), and subcutaneous emphysema without a history of lung disease. The pathophysiology of SPM and subcutaneous emphysema is likely caused by rupture of the alveolar membrane due to direct damage by COVID-19 infection and frequent cough-induced barotrauma.
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