Pulmonary venous thrombosis in a patient with COVID-19 infection

Infection with the SARS-COV2 virus (COVID-19) may be complicated by thrombotic diathesis. This complication often involves the pulmonary microcirculation. While macrovascular thrombotic complications of the lung may include pulmonary artery embolism, pulmonary artery thrombus in situ has also been hypothesized. Pulmonary vein thrombosis has not been described in this context.

Herein, we provide a case of an otherwise healthy male who developed an ischemic stroke with left internal carotid thrombus. Further imaging revealed pulmonary emboli with propagation through the pulmonary veins into the left atrium. This left atrial thrombus provides a source of atypical "paradoxic arterial embolism".

Thrombotic outcomes in the setting of severe COVID 19 pneumonia may include macrovascular venous thromboembolism, microvascular pulmonary vascular thrombosis and arterial thromboembolism. Pulmonary vein, herein described, provides further mechanistic pathway for potential arterial embolic phenomenon.