Leukoerythroblastic reaction associated with COVID-19 infection. Case report

COVID-19 disease is an acute viral pneumonia with multiple extrapulmonary manifestations, including certain hematological alterations. The leukoerythroblastic reaction or leukoerythroblastosis is defined by the presence in peripheral blood of nucleated erythroid cells and immature myeloids. Among its most frequent causes is medullary invasion by solid tumors and hematological neoplasms, so the recognition and consequent study of this reaction is extremely important. To date, only a single case of COVID-19 disease associated with a leukoerythroblastic reaction has been reported worldwide in adult patients.

In the following manuscript we describe the presence of leukoerythroblastosis in a male hospitalized for COVID-19, in which multiple causes were ruled out.

The patient had resolution of the leukoerythroblatosis as his respiratory symptoms resolved.

The COVID-19 disease could be a new known cause of a leukoerythroblastic reaction, although we believe that a greater number of reported cases is necessary to affirm that the association was not random.