LUNG CAVITY: A RARE FINDING IN COVID-19

ABSTRACT

SESSION TITLE Post-COVID-19 Infection Complications SESSION TYPE Case Report Posters PRESENTED ON 10/17/2022 1215 pm - 0115 pm INTRODUCTION: Chest CT features in COVID-19 pneumonia include scattered ground-glass infiltrates in milder cases to confluent ground-glass change, dense consolidation, and crazy paving in the critically ill. However, cavitary lesions are uncommon in these patients. We present a case of lung cavity in a patient who had recent COVID-19 pneumonia. CASE PRESENTATION A 33-year-old male diagnosed with COVID-19 four weeks ago presented with hemoptysis and exertional dyspnea. He had pleuritic chest pain without fever, night sweats, weight loss, skin rashes, hematemesis, or epistaxis. He had COVID-19 in Brazil, where he had received dexamethasone, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, colchicine, azithromycin, and rivaroxaban. The last dose of rivaroxaban was three days prior to the presentation. He had no history of travel to caves or exposure to birds or animals. His past medical history included hypertension, diabetes, and bariatric surgery. He had no history of smoking or IV drug use. He had moved from Brazil to the United States six years ago and worked as an interpreter. Physical examination was notable for stable vitals with O2 sat of 99%. Systemic examinations were unremarkable. Blood work including CBC, platelet count, PT/INR was within normal limits. COVID-19 testing (PCR) was negative. A chest CT revealed bilateral scattered ground-glass opacities with central cavitation in the left lower lobe concerning for septic pulmonary emboli. HIV 1/2, ANA, rheumatoid factor, and Quantiferon TB gold were negative. Blood cultures showed no growth. An echocardiogram was negative for any vegetations. Bronchoalveolar lavage from the left lower lobe was negative for AFB and gram staining. Sputum cultures, fungal cultures, and NAAT for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were negative, as was the cytology. He was started on amoxicillin-clavulanic acid during his hospital stay. He did not experience any recurrence of hemoptysis and was discharged home. The subsequent follow-up chest CT scans showed resolving cavitation at one month and a complete resolution of the cavity at 3 months. DISCUSSION: Cavitary lung lesions are usually related to fungal, mycobacterial, autoimmune, parasitic, thrombotic, or neoplastic etiologies. While not often seen in patients with viral pneumonia, lung cavitation can rarely occur in COVID-19. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Nocardia were suspected given the history of being an immigrant and a recent trip to Brazil. As these tests were negative and the lung cavity resolved over a few months with conservative treatment, the etiology of the cavity was attributed to a late presentation of COVID-19 pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 has variable complications which are still to be explored. The lung cavity in a COVID patient is an under-recognized entity. This case report highlights the need for further studies to determine the cause of cavitation, which could be related to COVID infection or its treatment. Reference #1 Selvaraj V, Dapaah-Afriyie K Lung cavitation due to COVID-19 pneumonia. BMJ Case Reports CP 2020;13e237245. Reference #2 Chen Y, Chen W, Zhou J, Sun C, Lei Y. Large pulmonary cavity in COVID-19 cured patient case report. Ann Palliat Med 2021;10(5)5786-5791. doi 10.21037/apm-20-452 Reference #3 Zoumot, Z., Bonilla, MF., Wahla, A.S. et al. Pulmonary cavitation an under-recognized late complication of severe COVID-19 lung disease. BMC Pulm Med 21, 24 (2021). https//doi.org/10.1186/s12890-020-01379-1 DISCLOSURES no disclosure on file for Raul Davaro;No relevant relationships by Susant Gurung No relevant relationships by Bijay Khanal No relevant relationships by Anil Phuyal No relevant relationships by Kamal Pokhrel No relevant relationships by REGINA SHRESTHA No relevant relationships by Mithil Gowda Suresh