A Case Series of Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum With/Without Pneumothorax in COVID-19

Abstract

With the previous worldwide initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a notable rise in spontaneous pneumomediastinum with/without pneumothorax (SPP) has been noted. Most cases were initially reported as complications secondary to barotrauma from mechanical ventilation (MV) with COVID-19. However, with the Delta strain, starting from December 2020, there have been multiple reports of SPP. The SPP is an uncommon complication outside use of assisted ventilation with either noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) or MV. COVID-19 has been linked to higher incidence of SPP without use of NIPPV or MV. We present a series of 5 cases with a polymerase chain reaction–confirmed COVID-19 diagnostic testing whose hospital course was complicated by SPP unrelated to the use of either NIPPV or MV.