Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Patients Recovering from COVID-19

MEDICC Rev. 2022 Jan 31;24(1):32-35. doi: 10.37757/MR2022.V24.N1.2.

Abstract

Introduction: During the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, some patients who develop severe forms of COVID-19 present thrombotic microangiopathy in the course of the disease's clinical progression.

Methods: Data came from direct patient observation and clinical records. We performed a kidney biopsy and used optical microscopy and immunofluorescence techniques.

Results: We present the case of a 78-year-old male patient, mestizo, overweight with a history of high blood pressure, ischemic cardiopathy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who was first admitted to the hospital due to respiratory symptoms and diarrhea related to COVID-19, from which he recovered. He was subsequently readmitted with symptoms of acute renal dysfunction accompanied by mild anemia and thrombocytopenia; at the same time, he resulted negative for COVID-19 via a real-time polymerase chain reaction test. A kidney biopsy revealed thrombi in glomerular capillaries, acute tubular necrosis, thickening of extraglomerular blood vessel walls, and C3 deposits in the glomerular tufts.

Conclusions: We describe a case of thrombotic microangiopathy with kidney biopsy in a patient recovering from COVID-19. Acute renal dysfunction is a form of thrombotic microangiopathy that has been observed in patients recovering from COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cuba; biopsy; kidney; thrombotic microangiopathy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • COVID-19*
  • Cuba
  • Humans
  • Kidney
  • Male
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Thrombotic Microangiopathies* / diagnosis
  • Thrombotic Microangiopathies* / etiology