Acute Intestinal Ischemia in a Patient with COVID-19 Infection

Korean J Gastroenterol. 2020 Sep 25;76(3):164-166. doi: 10.4166/kjg.2020.76.3.164.

Abstract

The World Health Organization has declared novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global public health emergency. Although respiratory symptoms predominate in COVID-19, thrombosis can occur in patients with COVID-19. This paper reports a case of an 82-year-old female with a prior medical history of hypertension, diabetes presenting with fever and cough, and was diagnosed with COVID-19. The patient subsequently developed progressively worsening of abdominal distention, tenderness, and underwent emergent laparotomy. She was found to have a gangrenous colon. This case adds to the limited literature regarding the extrapulmonary complications of COVID-19.

Keywords: Arterial thrombosis; COVID-19; Ischemic colitis; Mesenteric ischemia; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / diagnostic imaging
  • Abdomen / surgery
  • Acute Disease
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anticoagulants / therapeutic use
  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification
  • COVID-19
  • Colitis / diagnosis*
  • Colitis / pathology
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Female
  • Heparin / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Laparotomy
  • Necrosis
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Venous Thrombosis / complications
  • Venous Thrombosis / diagnosis*
  • Venous Thrombosis / drug therapy

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • Heparin