key: cord-0838189-c4p14kze
authors: Jasinowodolinski, Dany; Filisbino, Mariana Marins; Baldi, Bruno Guedes
title: COVID-19 pneumonia: a risk factor for pulmonary thromboembolism?
date: 2020
journal: J Bras Pneumol
DOI: 10.36416/1806-3756/e20200168
sha: c5fe760de5955be6c0e137d7a441042a8f807d64
doc_id: 838189
cord_uid: c4p14kze

nan

In December of 2019, a new virus was discovered in Wuhan, China. It was characterized as a coronavirus and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. A small number of those affected by the virus develop acute respiratory distress syndrome and other complications, of which the most recently reported is acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). (1) Although the mechanism by which this viral infection increases the risk of acute PTE has yet to be fully understood, it might be related to the endothelial damage caused by the viral infection. (1) The aim of the present report is to show the possible causal relationship between COVID-19 pneumonia and acute PTE. An obese 40-year-old man was initially diagnosed with mild COVID-19. Seven days after the onset of the symptoms, he presented with worsening dyspnea and an increase in D-dimer levels (from 700 ng/mL to 7,000 ng/mL). At hospital admission, CT angiography of the chest showed a typical pattern of viral pneumonia (2) and PTE (Figure 1 ). There was no hypoxemia. Doppler ultrasound of the lower extremities was negative for deep vein thrombosis, and an echocardiogram was unremarkable. In the case of COVID-19 pneumonia reported here, the absence of major risk factors for venous thrombosis supports the hypothesis that the viral pneumonia was the triggering factor for acute PTE. (3) 

Acute pulmonary embolism and COVID-19 pneumonia: a random association?

CT imaging of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pneumonia

COVID-19 Complicated by Acute Pulmonary Embolism

DJ: study design, writing, and final review of the manuscript. MMF and BGB: writing and final review of the manuscript.