Treatment of Bronchopleural Fistulas in Coronavirus Disease 2019 With Coils, Glue, and an Amplatzer Vascular Plug

Abstract

This case report describes a novel endoscopic approach to manage a bronchopleural fistula (BPF) of a patient with coronavirus disease 2019. A 66-year-old man with multiple comorbidities presented with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia that required prolonged ventilatory support, and developed BPFs. Bronchopleural valves caused large pleural airspace and empyema. Lung filling expanded after decortication, but the BPF reoccurred. Medical management and blood patch failed. Surgical options were limited due to the complexity of the BPF and the patient’s high surgical risk. The patient’s BPF was ultimately treated bronchoscopically with bare-platinum coils, TRUFILL n-butyl cyanoacrylate glue (Cerenovus), and an Amplatzer Vascular Plug (Abbott).