[Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection and "in situ split" Liver Resection with Fatal Outcome - A Case Report]

Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2023 Dec;58(11-12):660-664. doi: 10.1055/a-2141-4052. Epub 2023 Dec 6.
[Article in German]

Abstract

We report the perioperative course of a 47-year-old patient who underwent a two-stage liver resection for bilobar metastatic colorectal carcinoma. The respiratory asymptomatic patient was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR detection one day before the second surgical procedure. Postoperatively, the patient suffered cardiovascular arrest on postoperative day 8 and died despite immediately initiated resuscitative measures. With an initial clinical suspicion of vascular liver failure, postmortem pathologic examination revealed the underlying cause of death to be COVID-19-related myocarditis with acute right heart failure. Individual multidisciplinary risk assessment should be considered very critically when deviating from the "7-week rule" because the benefit is difficult to objectify, even in oncologic patients.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Asymptomatic Infections / mortality
  • COVID-19* / diagnosis
  • COVID-19* / mortality
  • Colorectal Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Colorectal Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Heart Failure* / etiology
  • Heart Failure* / mortality
  • Hepatectomy* / methods
  • Hepatectomy* / mortality
  • Humans
  • Liver / surgery
  • Liver Neoplasms* / secondary
  • Liver Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocarditis* / etiology
  • Myocarditis* / mortality
  • SARS-CoV-2