C67-26 Post COVID Paraseptal Lucencies Mimicking Emphysema in a Young Female Never-smoker
Abstract
Typical computed tomography (CT) findings in COVID-19 infection include bilateral, peripheral ground-glass opacities, with or without consolidations, often showing lower lobe and posterior predominance and sometimes accompanied by “crazy-paving” pattern. A spectrum of post-COVID pulmonary sequelae has been reported in interstitial lung disease (ILD) literature. However, emphysema-like changes are rarely described and usually occur in the presence of other risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Herein, we describe a case of a young female never-smoker with persistent paraseptal lucencies mimicking emphysema, thought to be related to prior COVID-19 infection or post-viral pneumonia. Description A 20-year-old-female never smoker with moderate persistent asthma, morbid obesity and prior COVID-19 infection was referred to pulmonary clinic for evaluation of abnormal chest CT. She denied secondhand smoking, vaping, or environmental/occupational exposures. There was no personal or family history of emphysema, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, surfactant disorders, or connective tissue disease. She reported a COVID-19 infection three years prior and a subsequent hospitalization one year later for viral pneumonia and asthma exacerbation, transiently requiring oxygen supplementation. During that hospitalization, contrast-enhanced CT chest demonstrated left lower lobe consolidation and paraseptal emphysema. No prior imaging was available. She subsequently returned to…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence.
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