Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2020 | SARS-CoV-2 | Case report
Late-onset myocardial infarction and autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in a COVID-19 patient without respiratory symptoms, concomitant with a paradoxical increase in inflammatory markers: a case report
Authors:
Maria Chiara Pelle, Bruno Tassone, Marco Ricchio, Maria Mazzitelli, Chiara Davoli, Giada Procopio, Anna Cancelliere, Valentina La Gamba, Elena Lio, Giovanni Matera, Angela Quirino, Giorgio Settimo Barreca, Enrico Maria Trecarichi, Carlo Torti, IDTM UMG COVID-19 Group
Published in:
Journal of Medical Case Reports
|
Issue 1/2020
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Abstract
Background
In December 2019, a new coronavirus (named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2) spread from China, causing a pandemic in a very short time. The main clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19, coronavirus disease-2019) is pneumonia, but several cardiovascular complications may also occur (e.g., acute coronary syndromes, pulmonary embolism, stroke, arrhythmias, heart failure and cardiogenic shock). Direct or indirect mechanisms induced by SARS-CoV-2 could be implicated in the pathogenesis of these events.
Case presentation
We report herein the third case of COVID-19 autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) reported so far, which occurredwithout any other possible explanations in a Caucasian patient. The patient also suffered from ST-elevation myocardial injury.
Conclusions
Both complications occurred quite late after COVID-19 diagnosis and were probably precipitated by systemic inflammation, as indicated by a significant delayed increase in inflammatory markers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6).