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Cholangiopathy as part of post-COVID syndrome
Manuel Rojas1, Yhojan Rodríguez1,2, Elizabeth Zapata1
1Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia.
Insights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause persistent liver injury, specifically cholangiopathy, in some critically ill patients. Management remains challenging even with standard treatments, highlighting the need for further research into COVID-19-related liver complications.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Liver injury is a frequent complication in critically ill patients with COVID-19.
- While often transient, some patients experience persistent abnormalities in liver tests.
Observation:
- A case of a 29-year-old patient with COVID-19 presenting with clinical and histological evidence of cholangiopathy is described.
- The patient's elevated bilirubin and transaminase levels persisted despite treatment.
Findings:
- The presented case highlights a difficult-to-manage cholangiopathy in a COVID-19 patient.
- Standard therapies like ursodeoxycholic acid and cholestyramine were ineffective in normalizing liver tests.
Implications:
- This case underscores the potential for prolonged and challenging liver dysfunction following COVID-19 infection.
- Increased awareness and further investigation into managing COVID-19-associated cholangiopathy are warranted.
Abstract:
Liver compromise in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is common but usually transient and self-limited. However, liver tests on some patients continue to show abnormal results. Herein, a 29-year-old patient with clinical and histological features of cholangiopathy is presented. Despite treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid and cholestyramine, bilirubin and transaminase levels remained elevated. This case report raises awareness of the difficulty of managing this condition in patients with COVID-19.
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