Case Report: COVID-19 with Bilateral Adrenal Hemorrhage

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Sep;103(3):1156-1157. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0722.

Abstract

A 70-year-old Dominican Republic man presented with lower back pain for 10 days. Fifteen days before pain onset, he had low-grade fever, chills, and asthenia, and 4 days before admission, he had constipation, malaise, generalized weakness, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting. On admission, the patient was afebrile and hypotensive, with a heart rate of 105 and an oxyhemoglobin saturation on room air of 95%. Hyponatremia, lymphopenia, elevated C-reactive protein, and ferritin were observed in complementary tests. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed findings consistent with COVID-19 bilateral bronchopneumonia, and an increase in size and blurring (loss of the Y shape) of both adrenals indicative of acute bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. The patient tested negative by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal swab, yet positive for IgG and IgM by ELISA, suggesting COVID-19 diagnosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Gland Diseases / diagnosis
  • Adrenal Gland Diseases / etiology*
  • Aged
  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Hemorrhage / diagnosis
  • Hemorrhage / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • SARS-CoV-2