Bilateral Spontaneous Pneumothorax in a Child with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: Spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), primarily reported in adults. Pediatric cases with bilateral pneumothorax are much less reported. Case Presentation: We presented the case of a five-year-old previously healthy boy who developed persistent fever, abdominal pain, generalized maculopapular rash, and dyspnea before admission. His chest computed tomography (CT) showed a viral involvement pattern of pneumonia suggestive of COVID-19. Subsequently, he was confirmed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). While he responded well to the therapies, on the fifth day of admission, he developed respiratory distress again. A chest roentgenogram showed bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax. Bilateral chest tubes were inserted, and his condition improved sig-nificantly after five days of admission to the intensive care unit. Two weeks later, he was discharged in good condition. Conclusions: Children with MIS-C associated with COVID-19 may develop primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Owing to the clinical picture overlapping with MIS-C associated with COVID-19, the timely diagnosis of pneumothorax may be challenging in such patients.