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Acute pericarditis revealing COVID-19 infection: Case report

Raid Faraj1, Chifaa Belkhayat2, Amine Bouchlarhem1

  • 1Intensive Care Unit, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Oujda, Morocco.

Annals of Medicine and Surgery (2012)
|February 1, 2021
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 can present solely as pericarditis, a heart inflammation, even in young, healthy individuals. This case highlights the importance of considering cardiac symptoms in COVID-19 diagnosis to prevent disease spread.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is a global pandemic with diverse clinical manifestations.
  • While respiratory symptoms are common, cardiac involvement is often underestimated.
  • Cardiac complications can sometimes be the sole presentation of COVID-19.

Observation:

  • A case of acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the heart's outer lining, is presented as the primary manifestation of COVID-19.
  • The patient was a young, healthy individual with no prior medical history and no typical respiratory symptoms.
  • Diagnosis involved clinical, biological, radiological, and electrocardiographic assessments.

Findings:

  • Pericarditis can be the initial and only presenting symptom of COVID-19.
  • Treatment with Colchicine alongside standard COVID-19 care led to a favorable outcome.
  • Symptoms regressed, and pericardial effusion resolved within two weeks.

Implications:

  • Chest pain may be the sole indicator of COVID-19 in certain populations.
  • Clinicians must recognize cardiac involvement in COVID-19 to ensure prompt diagnosis and patient isolation.
  • Early identification of cardiac manifestations aids in limiting the spread of the virus.

Keywords:
Acute pericarditisCOVID 19ColchicinePericardial effusion

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