Acute upper limb arterial ischemia in patients diagnosed with COVID-19: case series

Abstract

Infection by coronavirus 2, cause of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) in humans, was detected for the first time in Wuhan, China, in 2019, and spread globally over the course of 2020. Its different clinical manifestations are challenging, with a wide spectrum of presentations, ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe forms that can result in death. The objective of this study is to describe a series of four cases of acute arterial ischemia involving the upper limbs in patients diagnosed with COVID-19, which were managed clinically with anticoagulation, platelet antiaggregation, and prostanoids. Two patients were discharged from hospital with regression and delimitation of the ischemic zone, without needing surgical intervention, while two patients died from pulmonary complications. Adequate understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease could support better clinical management of its complications.

Keywords:
COVID-19; anticoagulants; emboli and thrombosis; ischemia; prostaglandins