Major thrombo-embolic complications in abdominal and lower limb arteries
in COVID19 patients: a case series.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: the outbreak of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in more than 150000 infected individuals and
more than 20000 deaths in Italy. Viral acute pneumonitis is the major
cause of morbidity and mortality, but there is increasing evidence that
COVID-19 patients show a variable degree of vascular complications, due
to a possible hypercoagulability status. OBJECTIVE: to report thrombotic
events in abdominal and lower-limb arteries of COVID-19 patients
(abdominal aorta, superior mesenteric artery, femoral arteries, cardiac,
spleen and kidney). METHODS: we retrospectively reviewed our clinical
records of patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, admitted from
March 1st to April 6th, 2020, to a tertiary care center in Brescia,
Italy. We selected five patients with major arterial thrombo-embolic
manifestations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In our opinion, arterial
thrombotic events may be more common in COVID-19 patients than in
general population, possibly resulting in rapid worsening of patient
conditions.