Pseudotumoral reaction against oxidized cellulose (Surgicel®) in a post-COVID19 tracheostomy scar

Abstract

Abstract Cytology has demonstrated that it is capable of a specific recognition of pseudotumoral reactions induced by oxidized cellulose. This is an important observation because image studies do not allow such recognition. We report a case in a tracheostomy scar from a post-COVID19 patient that mimicked a thyroid nodule. We have found no other reports describing this complication after tracheostomy procedures. During the pandemic, the number of patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and tracheostomies has been high. Therefore, we believe that the phenomenon we describe is likely to be observed more frequently. The presence of a tumor lesion near a tracheostomy bed should raise the possibility of this complication and alert pathologists to the possibility of reaction to hemostatic agents.