Cerebral thromboangiitis associated with Covid-19 infection: a young woman case report

Abstract

COVID-19 may predispose to both venous and arterial thromboembolic disease due to excessive inflammation, hypoxia, and immobilization. Remarkably, thrombotic complications have hardly been described. We describe a patient with severe pneumonia, COVID-19 correlated, who developed a presumable and rare form of thromboangioiitis with cerebrovascular thrombotic complication and neurological symptoms, in absence of other cardio-vascular risk factor. Significant inflammation is present in our patient, which may explain more dramatic activation of coagulation and arterial endothelium vessels damage. The probable mechanism of this cardiovascular injury may be a direct effect of coronavirus related to Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (ACE2-r). The exact mechanisms by which COVID-19 induced hypercoagulability remain incompletely elucidated and more research are necessary.