A Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax in a Patient with COVID-19: Case Report

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus, represents an unprecedented global threat. We report a 78 - year-old man who presented to the Emergency Department at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in June 2020 with a one-day history of right chest pain and severe breathlessness. The patient was an ex-smoker and known to have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with 2 previous pneumothoraces in the left lung. On presentation, the patient was breathless with oxygen saturation of 90% on room air. Chest X-ray demonstrated bilateral lung infiltrates and right-sided pneumothorax. The patient was tested for SARS-CoV-2 and positive results were reported. The patient had a chest drain that resulted in good resolution of the pneumothorax. The patient's condition improved remarkably, and he was discharged after 17 days of hospitalization. This is the first case of pneumothorax reported in a patient infected with COVID-19 who was known to have underlying IPF. Keywords: Spontaneous Pneumothorax; Pulmonary Fibrosis; SARS Coronavirus; Oxygen, Pleurodesis, COVID-19; Pleurodesis; Steroid.