Pulmonary cavitation in follow-up COVID 2019 cases: An etiological perspective

BACKGROUND: The current COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing global healthcare challenge that has caused morbidity and mortality at unprecedented levels. Since the post-COVID pulmonary complications are evolving and challenging, a study was carried out to assess pulmonary cavitation in follow-up COVID cases from an etiological perspective. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of pulmonary cavitation and describe its etiology and evolution in moderate and severe post-COVID pneumonia patients. METHODS: A prospective observational study of all patients admitted to our institution with moderate or severe COVID pneumonia was carried out. Some of these patients again became symptomatic after discharge and developed pulmonary cavitation on imaging. RESULTS: 6.2% (n = 37) out of 589 patients admitted to our institution with moderate or severe COVID pneumonia developed pulmonary cavitation on follow-up. We describe the imaging characteristics of post-COVID cavitation and present these patients' clinical, laboratory, and microbiological parameters. CONCLUSION: Cavitary lung disease in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease is not uncommon, and an etiological workup is necessary to institute timely and correct therapy.