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Atraumatic splenic rupture in a child with COVID 19
Ilirjana Bakalli1, Marsela Biqiku2, Durim Cela3
1PICU, UHC "Mother Theresa", Tirane, Albania. ilirjanabakalli@yahoo.com.
Insights
A rare case of COVID-19 in a child presented with atraumatic splenic rupture as the sole initial symptom. This highlights the potential for severe, unexpected complications of SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- While most children experience mild or no symptoms from COVID-19, some develop severe illness requiring intensive care.
- SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) can affect multiple organs beyond the respiratory system.
- Atraumatic splenic rupture is an uncommon but serious complication of COVID-19 in children.
Background:
The majority of children with COVID-19 have only minor symptoms or none at all. COVID-19, on the other hand, can cause serious illness in some children, necessitating hospitalization, intensive care, and invasive ventilation. Many studies have revealed that SARS-CoV-2 affects not only the respiratory system, but also other vital organs in the body. We report here a child with an atraumatic splenic rupture as the initial and only manifestation of COVID-19.
Case Presentation:
A 13-year-old boy with clinical signs of acute abdomen, left-sided abdominal pain, and hemodynamic instability was admitted to the PICU in critical condition. His parents denied any trauma had occurred. In addition to imaging tests, a nasopharyngeal swab was taken for COVID-19 testing, which was positive. The thoracic CT scan was normal, whereas the abdominal CT scan revealed hemoperitoneum, splenic rupture, and free fluid in the abdomen.
Conclusions:
The spleen is one of the organs targeted by the SARS-CoV-2. Splenic rupture, a potentially fatal and uncommon complication of COVID-19, can be the first and only clinical manifestation of the disease in children. All pediatricians should be aware of the possibility of atraumatic splenic rupture in children with COVID-19.
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