Open AccessUnusual presentation of coronavirus disease2019(COVID-19): two cases of acute abdomen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
health sciences investigations journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2720-7609
pISSN - 2704-4890
DOI - 10.46829/hsijournal.2021.12.2.2.277-280
Subject(s) - medicine , acute abdomen , pneumonia , laparotomy , abdomen , coronavirus , acute respiratory distress , covid-19 , presentation (obstetrics) , gastrointestinal tract , viral pneumonia , radiology , lung , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
December 2019 SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome, organ dysfunction and death. Since its discovery, a myriad of clinical presentations have surfaced and the past year has been a learning experience for all. We present two cases of acute abdomen presenting as a “surgical abdomen”; one had a negative laparotomy and negative PCR test, and the other who did not have surgery eventually tested positive on PCR testing. Both were incidentally diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia on a chest computed tomography scan and managed accordingly. It is unclear whether reported gastrointestinal manifestations are a direct causal effect of the virus in the gastrointestinal tract. Surgeons should be aware that COVID-19 can present as a “surgical abdomen” which may lead to negative laparotomies.