Open AccessUnusually Rapid Development of Pulmonary Hypertension and Right Ventricular Failure after COVID-19 Pneumonia
Author(s) -
Christel Mp van Dongen,
Marlou Thf Janssen,
Robrecht Pj van der Horst,
Dave Jw van Kraaij,
Ralph Peeters,
Leon M. van den Toorn,
Rémy L M Mostard
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of case reports in internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.125
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 2284-2594
DOI - 10.12890/2020_001784
Subject(s) - medicine , pulmonary hypertension , tocilizumab , covid-19 , pneumonia , cardiology , pulmonary vasculature , complication , methylprednisolone , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
COVID-19 is a novel viral disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The mid- and long-term outcomes have not yet been determined. COVID-19 infection is increasingly being associated with systemic and multi-organ involvement, encompassing cytokine release syndrome and thromboembolic, vascular and cardiac events. The patient described experienced unusually rapid development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricular failure after recent severe COVID-19 pneumonia with cytokine release syndrome, which initially was successfully treated with methylprednisolone and tocilizumab. The development of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure – in the absence of emboli on multiple CT angiograms – was most likely caused by progressive pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities combined with microvascular damage of the pulmonary arteries (group III and IV pulmonary hypertension, respectively). To the best of our knowledge, these complications have not previously been described and therefore awareness of PH as a complication of COVID-19 is warranted.