ABSTRACT
During the 2020 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, several cutaneous lesions were identified, including pseudo-chilblain, vesicular, urticarial, maculopapular, and livedo/necrosis. A 59-year-old obese man with probable COVID-19 developed painful cyanosis with histopathologic capillary thrombosis of toes, and the cyanosis persisted for nearly 22 months. Shortly after initial exposure to family members with documented SARS-CoV-2, he developed upper respiratory symptoms, yet his anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody and nasal swab RT-PCR tests were repeatedly negative. Two family members were hospitalized and one of them succumbed with documented SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia within 10 days of exposure. Biopsy specimen of the distal toe 16 weeks after initial exposure showed papillary dermal capillary thrombosis with endothelial swelling, telangiectasia, and peri-eccrine lymphocytic infiltrates resembling pernio. Overall, this is the first case of biopsy specimen of "long COVID toe" following presumed SARS-CoV-2 exposure, with a demonstration of thrombotic vasculopathy, toe cyanosis, and pernio-like pathology.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cyanosis , Thrombosis , Toes , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/pathology , Chilblains/pathology , Cyanosis/complications , Cyanosis/pathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Obesity/complications , SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity , Thrombosis/complications , Thrombosis/pathology , Time Factors , Toes/pathology , Post-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is highly-contagious. It can lead to respiratory distress-and in some cases-death. Recent reports and observations have identified an association between COVID-19 and manifestations in the feet. However, there are very few reports that describe the course of these foot manifestations in any detail. The authors present a case study chronicling the progression of foot issues in a COVID-19 positive patient who also was positive for the Epstein-Barr virus.