SARS-CoV-2 precipitated Kasabach-Merritt syndrome in a child with
Kaposiform Hemangiendothelioma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Abstract
Kaposiform hemangiendothelioma usually occurs in children under two
years of age and develops thrombocytopenia secondary to sequestration of
platelets within (Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon) and is complicated by
secondary consumption of fibrinogen and clotting factors. SARS-CoV-2
produces cutaneous endothelitis as a direct effect of the presence of
the virus and the host inflammatory response. We describe an 8-month-old
boy with leukemia and SARS-CoV-2 infection who developed
Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon, coagulopathy, and intestinal involvement.
Given the emerging evidence of endothelial and vascular involvement in
COVID-19, the development of tests to detect vascular injury may be
critical to guide the use of new therapeutic strategies.