Acute upper limb ischemia as the first manifestation in a patient with COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) rapidly became a global pandemic.
• COVID-19 is known to induce a hypercoagulable state, leading to thrombotic complications, particularly in critically ill patients.
• However, thrombotic events as initial presenting symptoms are infrequently reported.

Observation:

• This case report focuses on a patient presenting with acute upper extremity ischemia.
• The ischemia was identified as the first clinical manifestation of the patient's condition.

Findings:

• The patient's acute upper extremity ischemia was diagnosed as the initial presentation of COVID-19.
• This case underscores the potential for thrombotic events to be an early indicator of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Implications:

• Recognizing thrombotic events as a potential initial symptom of COVID-19 may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment.
• This finding is crucial for clinicians managing patients with vascular emergencies.
• Further research into the prothrombotic mechanisms of COVID-19 is warranted.