Cureus . COVID-19 Presenting as Acute Bilateral Submassive Pulmonary Embolism in a Young Healthy Female

[tetano]

Cureus


. 2020 Jul 19;12(7):e9266.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.9266.
COVID-19 Presenting as Acute Bilateral Submassive Pulmonary Embolism in a Young Healthy Female


Mina Fransawy Alkomos ¹ , Polina Aron ¹ , Ian Laxina ¹ , Jessimar Sanchez ¹ , Michael Agnelli ¹



Affiliations

• PMID: 32821612
• PMCID: PMC7431300
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.9266

Abstract

Similar symptoms, signs, and laboratory abnormalities between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and pulmonary embolism (PE) creates a diagnostic challenge to every physician, and emerging data show an association between COVID-19, hypercoagulable state, and venous thromboembolism. We present a rare case of COVID-19 presented as bilateral sub-massive PE. A 28-year-old COVID-19 positive female with no significant past medical history presented with a dry cough and shortness of breath for three days. Initial laboratory test showed elevated D-dimer, electrocardiogram (EKG) showed right axis deviation, right ventricular strain pattern, and S_I Q_III T_III pattern, and echocardiogram (ECHO) showed right ventricular dysfunction. Those two bedside tests directed the urgency of chest CT angiography that showed bilateral sub-massive PE. Since EKG finding of S_I Q_III T_III pattern and right ventricular strain, and ECHO finding of right ventricular dysfunction are well described in PE but not in COVID-19, these bedside diagnostic tools can help identify COVID-19 patients with underlining PEs.

Keywords: computed tomography pulmonary angiography; corona virus disease 2019; pulmonary thromboembolism.