Clinical observation of pneumomediastinum in a case of severe COVID-19-associated pneumonia in a teenager

Aim. Demonstration of the clinical case of pneumomediastinum in a teenager with severe COVID-19- associated pneumonia.
Materials and methods. The clinical case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum was presented, which was a complication of the severe course of COVID-19 pneumonia in a teenager.
Results. Patient Ch., 15 years old, with obesity of the 1st degree, was admitted to the hospital of infectious diseases for patients with a COVID-19 on the 7th day of the illness in a severe condition and had complaints of an increase in body temperature to 40ºC, pronounced cough and weakness, dyspnea when walking and at rest. The PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 gave a positive result. Multispiral computed tomography showed polysegmental interstitial lesion of both lungs, which had multiple areas of “ground glass”, signs of pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema of the upper third of the chest, left-sided pleural effusion. The volume of lung tissue lesion was 50% on the right and 85% on the left. The positive effect of treatment was not observed after 2-3 days in the hospital. The condition of heavy severity continued due to intoxication syndrome, respiratory failure, inflammatory changes in lung tissue syndrome. In this regard, the patient was injected intravenously with tocilizumab (Actemra®) 400 mg. The child was released on the 20th day of hospitalization with a positive clinical effect.
Conclusion. The above clinical case demonstrates that in children a novel coronavirus infection can occur not only in severe form, but also with the possible development of complications in the form of pneumomediastinum and low effectiveness of antibacterial and antiviral therapy, which required the use of humanized monoclonal antibodies (tocilizumab).

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