Late-onset myocardial infarction and autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in a COVID-19 patient without respiratory symptoms, concomitant with a paradoxical increase in inflammatory markers: a case report

Abstract

Abstract Background In December 2019, a new coronavirus (named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2) spread from China, causing a pandemic in a very short time. The main clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19, coronavirus disease-2019) is pneumonia, but several cardiovascular complications may also occur (e.g., acute coronary syndromes, pulmonary embolism, stroke, arrhythmias, heart failure and cardiogenic shock). Direct or indirect mechanisms induced by SARS-CoV-2 could be implicated in the pathogenesis of these events. Case presentation We report herein the third case of COVID-19 autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) reported so far, which occurredwithout any other possible explanations in a Caucasian patient. The patient also suffered from ST-elevation myocardial injury. Conclusions Both complications occurred quite late after COVID-19 diagnosis and were probably precipitated by systemic inflammation, as indicated by a significant delayed increase in inflammatory markers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Inflammation
• Cardiovascular disease
• AIHA
• Anaemia
• IL-6