Case Report: A Child With Omental Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Omental infarction (OI) is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain, which is benign and self-limited. It is diagnosed by imaging. The etiology of OI is either idiopathic or secondary and due to torsion, trauma, hypercoagulability, vasculitis, or pancreatitis. CASE REPORT: Here, we present a case of OI in a child with acute severe right upper quadrant pain. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Correct diagnosis of OI via imaging can prevent unnecessary surgery.

In-stent restenosis and stented-territory infarction after carotid and vertebrobasilar artery stenting.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis after vertebrobasilar stenting (VBS) may differ from that after carotid artery stenting (CAS). Here, we directly compared the incidence and predictors of in-stent restenosis and stented-territory infarction after VBS and compared them with those of CAS. METHODS: We enrolled patients who underwent VBS or CAS. Clinical variables and procedure-related factors were obtained. During the 3 years of follow-up, in-stent restenosis and infarction were investigated in each group. In-stent restenosis was defined as reduction in the lumen diameter > 50% compared with that after stenting. Factors associated with the occurrence of in-stent restenosis and stented-territory infarction in VBS and CAS were compared. RESULTS: Among 417 stent insertions (93 VBS and 324 CAS), there was no statistical difference in in-stent restenosis between VBS and CAS (12.9% vs. 6.8%, P = 0.092). However, stented-territory infarction was more frequently observed in VBS than in CAS (22.6% vs. 10.8%; P = 0.006), especially a month after stent insertion. HbA1c level, clopidogrel resistance, and multiple stents in VBS and young age in CAS increased the risk of in-stent restenosis. Diabetes (3.82 [1.24-11.7]) and multiple stents (22.4 [2.4-206.4]) were associated with stented-territory infarction in VBS. However, in-stent restenosis (odds ratio: 15.1, 95% confidence interval: 3.17-72.2) was associated with stented-territory infarction in CAS. CONCLUSIONS: Stented-territory infarction occurred more frequently in VBS, especially after the periprocedural period. In-stent restenosis was associated with stented-territory infarction after CAS, but not in VBS. The mechanism of stented-territory infarction after VBS may be different from that after CAS.

Case 313: Cerebral Venous Infarct Due to Internal Cerebral Vein Thrombosis in the Setting of COVID-19 Infection.

HISTORY: A 45-year-old woman presented to the emergency department of an outside hospital with shortness of breath and cough. Five days after initial presentation, the patient presented again to the same emergency department with worsening headache and progressive left arm and left leg weakness. She was transferred to the neuroscience intensive care unit of our hospital with concern for an intracranial abnormality based on her work-up at the outside hospital. Her past medical history was notable only for a large uterine fibroid. In our hospital, CT of the brain and chest and MRI of the brain, including perfusion studies, were performed. Additionally, CT venography of the brain was performed.

[Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination].

A 48-year-old Japanese man who had no previous medical history received his first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. Ten days after the vaccine administration, he developed a headache. Laboratory results indicated throm-bocytopenia and DIC. A head CT revealed microbleeding in the left parietal lobe. Contrast-enhanced CT showed thrombus in the left transverse sinus and left sigmoid sinus. A brain MRI demonstrated venous hemorrhagic infarction and subarachnoid hemorrhages in the left parietal lobe, and whole-body enhanced CT also revealed portal vein embolism and renal infarction. He was diagnosed with thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, and was treated according to the guideline. He has been recovering with the treatments. This is the first reported case of TTS associated with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in Japan.

Successful systemic lysis therapy of a floating carotid thrombus in an acute stroke patient with known immune thrombocytopenic purpura on ongoing eltrombopag therapy and acute COVID-19 infection: A case report (preprint)

Background: Patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) under eltrombopag therapy are vulnerable to thrombotic disbalance either by disease and by therapy-related hypercoagulability. Vascular events such as the development of a free-floating carotid thrombus are known rare complications of acute COVID-19 infections due to an endothelial inflammation and underlying hypercoagulable state. New focal neurological symptoms in patients at risk should be immediately followed by angiographic diagnostics and, if necessary, proceed with the appropriate treatment immediately. Case presentation: Here we report a case of a 38-old female with a medical history of ITP and presence of COVID-19 infection presenting an acute sensorimotor hemiparesis of the right side while oneltrombopag therapy. Initial CT angiography revealed a free-floating thrombus of the left carotid artery. At admission, platelet number was significantly increased at 896/nl. After systemic lysis therapy the thrombus was fully dissolved. Follow-up diffusion-weighted imaging revealed multilocular cortical infarction of the left ACM territory. The patient soon recovered and was released with residual mild sensorimotor deficits of the right arm. Eltrombopag was paused at admission, platelet number was quickly normalizing and the patient was discharged with a daily intake of acetylsalicylic acid, eltrombopag in reduced daily dose and weekly control of platelet number for 3 months. Conclusions: This unique case enhances the need for caution in patients at vascular risk who exhibit an acute COVID-19 infection, and discusses thrombocytic derailment under thrombopoietin receptor agonist therapy associated with an acute COVID-19 infection.

Encephalopathy as the Only Manifestation in Simultaneous Arterial Infarct and Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis in Recent COVID-19 Infection.

BACKGROUND Emerging cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with cerebral thromboembolism episodes manifesting as arterial strokes or cerebral venous thrombosis have been reported. However, the co-occurrence of arterial strokes and cerebral venous thrombosis is rare. CASE REPORT We report the case of a previously healthy young patient with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection, who presented with encephalopathy. His computed tomography venography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed thrombosis of the vein of Galen and straight sinus, and arterial infarcts in both hemispheres. His inflammatory markers, D-dimer levels, and coagulation profile were normal. He was started on anticoagulation and recovered well. CONCLUSIONS Concurrent arterial and venous thrombosis can happen rarely in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, including patients who have recently recovered from COVID-19. Cerebral thromboembolism associated with SARS-CoV-2 can present with a variety of subtle clinical manifestations, including encephalopathy without focal neurological deficits. Inflammatory markers, D-dimer levels, and coagulation profiles can be normal, especially in patients with mild infection or who have recovered from the infection. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant and recognize this clinical entity so that the diagnosis can be made and treatment can be started promptly. However, larger and prospective studies are needed to determine the clinical outcomes, therapeutic benefits, and complications of concurrent arterial stroke and cerebral venous thrombosis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Safety of bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccines: a nationwide cohort study (preprint)

Background: Safety data to support bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccination are lacking. Methods: In a Danish nationwide cohort study from 1 January 2021 to 10 December 2022, we examined the association between bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccination as a fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose and risk of adverse events in individuals aged [≥]50 years. Using incidence rate ratios estimated with Poisson regression, we compared the rates of hospital visits for 27 different adverse events in a 28-day main risk period following vaccination with a bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccine as a fourth dose to reference period rates from day 29 after the third or fourth vaccine dose and onward. Secondary analyses included stratifying by sex, age, and vaccine type and assessing the associations using self-controlled case series and observed vs. expected cohort analyses. Results: 1,740,417 individuals (mean age 67.8 years, standard deviation 10.7) received a bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccine as a fourth dose. Fourth dose vaccination with a bivalent omicron-containing booster did not statistically significantly increase the rate of any of the 27 adverse outcomes within 28 days, nor when analyzed according to age, sex, vaccine type, or using alternative analytical approaches. However, post-hoc analysis detected signals for myocarditis (statistically significantly so in females), although the outcome was very rare and findings were based on few cases. No risk of cerebrovascular infarction was found. Conclusions: Bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccination as a fourth dose was not associated with an increased risk of 27 different adverse events in 50+-year-olds.

Osteonecrosis and Osteomyelitis of the Proximal Third of Tibia as a Late Sequela of COVID-19: A Case Report.

Coronavirus disease was first described as an identified syndrome in December 2019 (COVID-19). Since then, a global pandemic has taken place and the disease has repeatedly been associated with thromboembolic complications, most of which are venous, but may also occur at the arterial level, even in patients receiving thromboprophylaxis. To date, only medium- and large-caliber vessels have been affected by arterial thrombosis secondary to COVID-19. This article describes the case of a 60-year-old woman with a prior severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection who developed multiple bone infarcts, complicated by secondary osteomyelitis. The patient underwent multiple surgical debridements and received a variety of antibiotics before the correct diagnosis was made and a multidisciplinary surgery was planned that provided coverage with a medial gastrocnemius flap. At 5-months follow-up, the patient had recovered well without any clinical evidence of infection or other complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first known case of a bone infarct complicated with a secondary osteomyelitis occurring in a patient having suffered a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. We postulate as our main hypothesis that the prothrombogenic state secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection may have contributed to thrombosis of small-caliber vessels, in our patient the arteria nutricia tibialis, triggering bone infarcts and a secondary infection with Staphylococcus aureus .

Parinaud’s syndrome caused by a cerebral infarction in a Covid positive child secondary to diabetic ketoacidosis (preprint)

Cerebral infarction is a very rare complication of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) which is a metabolic disorder caused by insulin deficiency. A previously healthy 6-year-old boy with a newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes mellitus presented with a severe DKA. The patient, who tested positive for SARS-CoC-2 nasopharyngeal PCR, developed about 72 hours after admission a Parinaud’s syndrome (PS), also known as dorsal midbrain syndrome, which is described as an up-gaze saccadic paresis, a convergence-retraction nystagmus, a light-near dissociation of the pupils and occasionally a lid retraction. The brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed an ischemic infarction in the left thalamus and the thalamo-mesencephalic junction with a slight extension in the midbrain tegmentum. His symptoms improved gradually and at 3-weeks follow-up he had a full neuro-ophthalmological recovery. By describing a Parinaud syndrome as a neuro-ophthalmologic complication in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) crisis, which, to our best knowledge, has not been described yet, our case expands the knowledge of the neurological manifestations occurring in children during diabetic ketoacidosis and reiterates the importance to keep those patients under strict neurological monitoring for at least 72 hours, especially in severe DKA and to request early brain imaging for any child with neurological deterioration.

COVID-19 infection: from stress-related cortisol levels to adrenal glands infarction.

Cortisol is a key element in acute stress including a severe infection. However, in coronavirus-associated disease, 20% of subjects experience hypocortisolemia due to direct or immune damage of pituitary and adrenal glands. One extreme form of adrenal insufficiency is found in 2∕3 of cases with viral and post-viral adrenal infarction (AI) (with∕without adrenal hemorrhage) that is mostly associated with a severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection; it requires prompt glucocorticoid intervention. Some reports are incidental findings at computed tomography (CT)∕magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for non-adrenal complications like pulmonary spreading and others are seen on post-mortem analysis. This is a review of PubMed-accessible, English papers focusing on AI in addition to the infection, between March 1, 2020 and November 1, 2021. Exclusion criteria were acute adrenal insufficiency without the histopathological (HP) and∕or imaging report of adrenal enlargement, necrosis, etc., respective adrenal failure due to pituitary causes, or non-COVID-19-related adrenal events. We identified a total of 84 patients (different levels of statistical evidence), as follows: a retrospective study on 51 individuals, two post-mortem studies comprising nine, respectively 12 patients, a case series of five subjects, seven single-case reports. HP aspects include necrosis associated with ischemia, cortical lipid degeneration (+/- focal adrenalitis), and infarcts at the level of adrenal cortex, blood clot into vessels, acute fibrinoid necrosis in arterioles and capsules, as well as subendothelial vacuolization. Collateral potential contributors to adrenal damage are thrombotic events, coagulation anomalies, antiphospholipid syndrome, endothelial dysfunction, severe COVID-19 infection with multiorgan failure, etc. Clinical picture is variable from acute primary adrenal insufficiency to asymptomatic or mild evolution, even a retrospective diagnostic; it may be a part of long COVID-19 syndrome; glucocorticoid therapy for non-adrenal considerations might mask cortisol deficient status due to AI∕hemorrhage. Despite its rarity, the COVID-19-associated AI/hemorrhage represents a challenging new chapter, a condition that is essential to be recognized due to its gravity since prompt intervention with glucocorticoid replacement is lifesaving.

Pseudomembranous Colitis in a Coronavirus Disease 19 positive patient : not a simple issue. (preprint)

Since its emergence, Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) rapidly spread worldwide and was responsible for a global pandemic. Although it was initially considered a respiratory disease, recent studies have evidenced that Covid-19 had serious systemic adverse effects involving major organs, including those of the digestive system. Histological lesions associated with these manifestations have rarely been reported. We, herein, present a singular case of pseudomembranous colitis (PMC), proven histologically, in a 73-year-old Covid-19 positive female patient. We aim to study the clinico-pathological characteristics of this association. A 73-year-old Covid positive patient was intubated and put on intravenous antibiotherapy after the deterioration of her respiratory function. Ten days after admission, the patient presented abdominal distension and melena. An abdominal tomography scan showed a left mesenteric infarction related to a thrombosis at the origin of the left mesenteric artery. A left hemicolectomy was performed in emergency. Macroscopic examination of the hemicolectomy specimen showed an edematous colonic mucosa, with multiple ulcerations covered by a whitish necrotic coating reminiscent of false membranes. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of PMC. The patient presented a septic shock and died six days after the operation. The PMC could have resulted from the use of antibiotics. However, the direct involvement of Covid-19 in the occurrence of this PMC cannot be excluded. Further studies are needed to evaluate the direct correlation between Covid-19 and PMC.

Secondary Complications in COVID-19 Patients: A Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, primarily causes a respiratory tract infection that is not limited to respiratory distress syndrome, but it is also implicated in other body systems. Systemic complications were reported due to an exaggerated inflammatory response, which involves severe alveolar damage in the lungs and exacerbates the hypercoagulation that leads to venous thrombosis, ischemic attack, vascular dysfunction and infarction of visceral abdominal organs. Some complications are related to anticoagulant drugs that are administrated to stabilize hypercoagulability, but increase the risk of bleeding, hematoma and hemorrhage. The aim of this study is to report the diagnostic role of CT in the early diagnosis and management of patients with severe COVID-19 complications through the most interesting cases in our experience. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The retrospective analysis of patients studied for COVID-19 in our institution and hospitals, which are part of the university training network, was performed. CASES: Pneumomediastinum, cortical kidney necrosis, splenic infarction, cerebral ischemic stroke, thrombosis of the lower limb and hematomas are the most major complications that are reviewed in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CT imaging modality with its high sensitivity and specificity remains the preferred imaging choice to diagnose early the different complications associated with COVID-19, such as thrombosis, ischemic stroke, infarction and pneumomediastinum, and their management, which significantly improved the outcomes.

BRANCH RETINAL ARTERY OCCLUSION WITH PARACENTRAL ACUTE MIDDLE MACULOPATHY PRESUMABLY RELATED TO HEAVY CANNABIS USE.

PURPOSE: To report a case of branch retinal artery occlusion associated with paracentral acute middle maculopathy on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography presumably related to heavy cannabis consumption. METHODS: Retrospective case report. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography angiography were performed. RESULTS: A 21-year-old healthy man described the acute onset of superior visual field loss in his right eye. He admitted smoking approximately 15 g daily of cannabis for several weeks during COVID-19 confinement. Ophthalmoscopic examination of the right eye showed inferotemporal retinal whitening. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography illustrated evidence of the ischemic cascade with diffuse hyperreflectivity of the inner and middle retinal layers within the central region of the retinal infarct and paracentral acute middle maculopathy at the border of the infarct. Optical coherence tomography angiography demonstrated predominant flow signal loss at the level of the deep retinal capillary plexus. Fluorescein angiography and complete systemic workup were unremarkable. CONCLUSION: Branch retinal artery occlusion and paracentral acute middle maculopathy may be related to heavy cannabis use as the result of transient arterial vasospasm.

Neuropathological findings in fatal COVID-19 and their associated neurological clinical manifestations.

Severe cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) can present with multiple neurological symptoms. The available neuropathological studies have described different lesions; the most frequent was the presence of neuroinflammation and vascular-related lesions. The objective of this study was to report the neuropathological studies performed in a medical institution, with abundant long intensive care unit stays, and their associated clinical manifestations. This is a retrospective monocentric case series study based on the neuropathological reports of 13 autopsies with a wide range of illness duration (13-108 days). A neuroinflammatory score was calculated based on the quantification of CD8- and CD68-positive cells in representative areas of the central nervous system. This score was correlated afterwards with illness duration and parameters related to systemic inflammation. Widespread microglial and cytotoxic T-cell activation was found in all patients. There was no correlation between the neuroinflammatory score and the duration of the illness; nor with parameters of systemic inflammation such as the peak of IL-6 or the HScore (a parameter of systemic macrophage activation syndrome). Two patients had global hypoxic ischaemic damage and five patients had subacute infarcts. One patient had many more brain vascular microthrombi compared to the others and multiple subacute pituitary infarcts. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected with qRT-PCR. The proportion of brain lesions in severe COVID-19 patients could be related to illness duration. In our series, with abundant long hospitalisation stays, neuroinflammation was present in all patients and was more prominent between day 34 and day 45 after onset of symptoms. Clinical correlation showed that two patients with the highest neuroinflammatory scores had severe encephalopathies that were not attributable to any other cause. The second most frequent lesions were related to vascular pathology.

Multidomain cognitive dysfunction after minor stroke suggests generalized disruption of cognitive networks.

OBJECTIVE: Although small strokes typically result in "good" functional outcomes, significant cognitive impairment can occur. This longitudinal study examined a cohort of patients with minor stroke to determine the pattern of deficits, evolution over time, and factors associated with outcome. METHODS: Patients admitted to the hospital with their first clinical minor stroke (NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS] ≤ 10, absence of severe hemiparesis, aphasia, or neglect) were assessed at 1 month post-infarct, and a subset were followed over time (with 6- and 12-month evaluations). Composite scores at each time point were generated for global cognition, verbal memory, spatial memory, motor speed, processing speed, and executive function. Paired t-tests evaluated change in scores over time. Regression models identified factors associated with initial performance and better recovery. RESULTS: Eighty patients were enrolled, evaluated at 1 month, and prospectively followed. The average age of the participants was 62.3 years, and mean education was 13.5 years. The average stroke volume was 6.6 cc; mean NIHSS score was 2.8. At 1 month, cognitive scores were below the normative range and > 1 standard deviation below the patient's peak ("recovery") score for every cognitive domain, strongly suggesting that they were well below patients' prestroke baselines. Forty-eight patients followed up at 6 months, and 39 at 12 months. Nearly all (98%) patients significantly improved in global cognition (averaged across domains) between 1 and 6 months. Between 6 and 12 months, recovery was variable. Higher education, occupational class, and Caucasian race were associated with higher recovery scores for most domains. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairment across multiple domains is common following minor stroke regardless of infarct location, suggesting a global process such as network dysfunction that improves over 6 months. Degree of recovery can be predicted using baseline factors.

Concurrent Cerebral, Splenic, and Renal Infarction in a Patient With COVID-19 Infection.

INTRODUCTION: Thrombotic events are potentially devastating complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Although less common than venous thromboembolism, arterial thrombosis has been reported in COVID-19 cohorts in almost 3% of patients. We describe a patient with COVID-19 infection and concurrent cerebral and noncerebral infarction. CASE REPORT: A 53-year-old man with history of COVID-19 pneumonia was admitted to a primary stroke center for speech disturbances and left hemiplegia. Urgent laboratory tests showed a great increase of inflammatory and coagulation parameters as D-dimer, ferritin, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. Neuroimaging found occlusion of the M1 segment of the right middle cerebral artery with early signs of ischemic stroke. He received intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy. Abdominal computed tomography discovered a splenic infarction with hemorrhagic transformation and bilateral renal infarction. Urgent angiography showed an associated splenic pseudoaneurysm, which was embolized without complications. He was treated with intermediate-dose anticoagulation (1 mg subcutaneous enoxaparin/kg/24 h), acetylsalicylic acid 100 mg and 5 days of intravenous corticosteroids. In the following days, inflammatory markers decreased so anticoagulant treatment was stopped and acetylsalicylic acid 300 mg was prescribed. His condition improved and he was discharged to a rehabilitation facility on hospital day 30. CONCLUSION: In this case, a patient with multiple thrombotic events in the acute phase of COVID-19 infection, the delimitation of the inflammatory state through analytical markers as D-dimer helped to individualize the antithrombotic treatment (full anticoagulation or anticoagulation at intermediate doses plus antiplatelet treatment as used in our patient) and its duration. However, more data are needed to better understand the mechanisms and treatment of stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection.