Key Clinical Message. Tension pneumothorax is an uncommon presentation in patients with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) or COVID-19 pneumonia. We present a case of tension pneumothorax in a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia and myocarditis. This was an unlikely diagnosis in a patient with no known underlying lung condition and no other precipitating factors such as barotrauma. In an acute deterioration of patients with SARS-CoV-2, it is important to always consider alternative diagnoses and repeat imaging.
Hypereosinophilic cardiomyopathy is a rare restrictive cardiomyopathy which often presents with left-sided heart failure. We present an interesting case of a 58-year-old male patient with known hypereosinophillic syndrome who had presented with congestive cardiac failure with predominant features of right-sided volume overload. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis by demonstrating obliteration of the right ventricular apex and endocardial-delayed gadolinium enhancement at the mid-septal and inferior segment, at both the right ventricular and left ventricular apical region, consistent with fibrosis. He was successfully treated with intravenous diuretics to good effect.
This case report demonstrates a rare clinical presentation of right ventricle involvement in hypereosinophilic cardiomyopathy and the current pathway for diagnosis with the favoured emergence of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. All patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome should be closely monitored for signs of cardiac involvement, as early treatment carries a better prognosis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.