Lung ultrasound (LUS) in COVID-19 pneumonia: Usefulness in two atypical cases

Abstract

Clinical experience and scientific articles have shown that patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV- 2) can be paucisymptomatic or asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. In this paper, we will discuss two paucisymptomatic patients with blood tests suggestive for SARS-CoV-2 infection but with repeated negative nasopharyngeal swabs and without typical features of COVID-19 pneumonia on chest high-resolution computed tomography. In these cases, lung ultrasound helped to raise clinical suspicion of COVID-19 pneumonia and facilitate diagnosis. LEARNING POINTS • During the current COVID-19 pandemic, lung ultrasound (LUS) is being used extensively to evaluate and monitor lung damage in infected patients. • Several patients have been described with negative PCR swabs who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. • Typical signs of interstitial pneumonia on LUS strongly indicate COVID-19 pneumonia, thus suggesting further investigation and invasive tests to confirm the diagnosis.