ABSTRACT
Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has evolved as a result of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). With the rise of cases worldwide, plenty of potential COVID-19 complications have emerged, including increased susceptibility to subsequent bacterial and fungal infections. This study aims to report four cases of COVID-19 associated with pulmonary mucormycosis. Method: This is a multi-center case series study. Diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Result: A total of 4 patients infected with SARS-CoV2 were involved in this study. The majority of the cases were female, aged >42 years old. All patients developed severe symptoms. All of the patients had received steroids, half of them had co-morbidities. The most common computerized tomography (CT) scan findings were pulmonary cavitation and empyema. All of the cases were treated with a combination of surgery and antifungal treatment. Conclusion: As the number of COVID-19 cases rises, enhanced surveillance for co-infections with unusual pathogens should be continued. Clinicians should raise awareness of these deadly infections, which can further aggravate severe COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Pericardial effusion (PE) related to COVID-19 has rarely been observed, with most reported cases being non-hemorrhagic. This study aims to present a rare case of post-COVID-19 hemorrhagic PE. CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old male presented with shortness of breath upon exertion, palpitation, and left-sided chest tightness. He was a recently recovered from COVID-19. He was conscious, oriented, tachypneic, and tachycardic. Chest examination revealed a mixture of fine and coarse crackles along with muffled heart sounds. He had elevated D-dimer, C-reactive protein, prothrombin time, and aPTT. Computed tomography pulmonary angiogram showed acute pulmonary thromboembolism involving the posterior segmental lobar branch of the left lower lobe with concomitant pulmonary infarction. Echocardiography showed severe PE without diastolic collapse. Pericardial drainage was performed and by the 2nd day, there was no more effusion. On the 7th day, the patient developed severe complications which led to cardiac arrest. DISCUSSION: PE is a collection of fluid in the pericardium. It has been rarely observed in relation to COVID-19, both during and after the viral infection. If PE is suspected, Echocardiography can be used to confirm its diagnosis. There is no standard management for these cases and only non-hemorrhagic patients with mild to moderate effusion can be treated using conservative measures. CONCLUSION: Hemorrhagic PE can be a rare but possible post-COVID-19 sequel, and echocardiography can be used to confirm its diagnosis. Drainage is necessary to resolve the effusion.
