Late mesenteric ischemia after Sars-Cov-2 infection: case report

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases
• Surgical Case Report

Background:

• Post-COVID-19 complications can manifest in various organ systems.
• Gastrointestinal symptoms are reported, but small bowel stenosis is a rare sequela.

Observation:

• A 53-year-old man presented with severe epigastric pain, hyporexia, and vomiting 48 days post-COVID-19 diagnosis.
• Initial investigations showed no acute infection or pancreatic injury, but CT revealed dilated small bowel loops.

Findings:

• Exploratory laparotomy identified two sites of non-extrinsic small bowel stenosis with local ischemia.
• Surgical resection (enterectomy) and reconstruction (enteroanastomosis) were performed.

Implications:

• This case highlights small bowel stenosis as a potential, albeit rare, long-term complication of COVID-19.
• Early surgical intervention may be necessary for managing such post-infectious gastrointestinal complications.