High-Grade Colonic Stricture After a Severe Case of COVID-19 Pneumonia

Extrapulmonary involvement of coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) is being documented and studied at an increasing frequency. Specifically, gastrointestinal involvement is hypothesized to occur due to cellular entry via the ACE2 receptor found in gastrointestinal epithelial cells, causing inflammation and symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, and diarrhea. We present the case of a 45-year-old female with recent severe COVID-19 infection and early gastrointestinal symptoms who later presented with worsening abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and constipation after initial discharge. She was diagnosed with a large bowel obstruction and underwent urgent exploratory laparotomy, which revealed a stricture of the distal transverse colon. Following segmental resection, the patient experienced resolution of symptoms. We hypothesize that this patient's colonic stricture arose secondary to severe COVID-19-induced bowel inflammation.