Proceedings of 26th Annual Technological Advances in Science, Medicine and Engineering Conference 2022

Unusual hepatic manifestations following COVID19 infection
Tharanath Shankar, Sindhu Ramesh, Vijayashree Thyagaraj, Ashwin Kulkarni, Akshay Rao, Amulya Manohar, Nithin Kumar, Manoj Yogesh Govindarajulu, Timothy Moore, Muralakrishnan Dhanasekaran
Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global pandemic and continues to be a considerable threat to society's health since December 2019. Studies have shown that specific symptoms can persist in a few people, or new symptoms could develop after recovery from COVID-19 infection, termed 'long COVID.' Through this case series, we would like to highlight the importance of post-COVID patients' follow-up as it could unearth several latent diseases. Methods: We report a retrospective analysis of three patients following recovery from moderate-severe COVID who manifested features of parenchymal liver disease with decompensation. Results: Mean age of patients was 58 years. Common presenting symptoms were swelling of lower limbs and abdomen distension following recovery from COVID-19. Physical findings included pallor, pedal edema, ascites, and splenomegaly. Laboratory findings were variable cytopenia with pancytopenia in 66% of cases, hypoalbuminemia (100%), deranged coagulation profile (100%), hyperferritinemia (100%), and normal bilirubin and liver enzymes (100%). One patient underwent orthotopic liver transplantation and was vaccinated 5 months before liver transplantation. The other two patients were vaccinated 3 months after discharge and are on regular medications and managed conservatively. Conclusion: Patients never manifested any symptoms of the liver disease ever before and were diagnosed with parenchymal liver disease during their follow-up visits. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate if the post COVID period is a continuum of the inflammatory phase, precipitating many latent diseases. As vaccination has drastically reduced the incidence of severe COVID-19 cases, it needs to be determined if unmasking or decompensation of such cases will reduce in COVID-19 patients who are pre-vaccinated. A clear picture should emerge once more cases are reported, and the follow-up of these cases should give more information in this regard.

 KEYWORDS: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2); COVID-19; Decompensated parenchymal liver disease; Liver functions


Last modified: 2022-08-20
Building: TASME Center
Room: Medicine Hall
Date: August 27, 2022 - 09:35 AM – 09:50 AM

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