Abstract
Initially considered to be a respiratory disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now recognized as a multisystem disease known to affect all the major organs, including the gastrointestinal system. Based on recent studies, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes dysregulation of multiple biological pathways, triggers an exaggerated immune response, and affects multiple organs. The gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID-19 are common but often overlooked. We report the case of a 50-year-old female with a recent history of COVID-19 presenting with complaints of abdominal pain and constipation. Initially, the patient was treated for respiratory symptoms and discharged home. Subsequently, she was re-admitted and diagnosed with colonic obstruction on radiology. Laparotomy revealed descending and sigmoid colonic gangrene requiring left colectomy. This case highlights the uncommon but severe gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19.
Highlights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a multisystem disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
COVID-19 is associated with coagulopathy and vasculitis, which correlate with the disease severity and increase the risk of mortality [3,4,5,6,7]
We report a case of acute colonic gangrene involving descending and sigmoid colon in a female patient after two weeks of diagnosing SAR-CoV-2 infection
Summary
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a multisystem disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We report a case of acute colonic gangrene involving descending and sigmoid colon in a female patient after two weeks of diagnosing SAR-CoV-2 infection. A 50-year-old hypertensive female presented with abdominal pain and constipation for five days She was diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to another hospital for two weeks due to respiratory symptoms. She was discharged five days before presenting with abdominal symptoms. The patient developed respiratory distress and drowsiness, requiring re-intubation and mechanical ventilation. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, and she expired on the same day. Other vessels showed thickened intima with a compromised lumen (Figure 2D) These features suggested acute intestinal ischemia at different stages of development
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