PropertyValue
?:abstract
  • BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cerebral infarction in COVID-19 patients might be associated with a hypercoagulable state related to a systemic inflammatory response. Its diagnosis might be challenging. We present two critically ill patients with COVID-19 who presented acutely altered mental status as the main manifestation of multiple strokes. METHODS: Clinical presentation and diagnostic work-up of the patients. RESULTS: Two patients in their sixties were hospitalized with a bilateral pneumonia COVID-19. They developed respiratory failure and were admitted to ICU for mechanical ventilation and intense medical treatment. They were started on low-molecular-weight heparin since admission. Their laboratory results showed lymphopenia and increased levels of C-reactive protein and D-dimer. Case 1 developed hypofibrinogenemia and presented several cutaneous lesions with biopsy features of thrombotic vasculopathy. Case 2 was performed a CT pulmonary angiogram at ICU showing a bilateral pulmonary embolism. When waking up, both patients were conscious but with a remarkable global altered mental status without focal neurological deficits. A brain MRI revealed multiple acute bilateral ischemic lesions with areas of hemorrhagic transformation in both patients (case 1: affecting the left frontal and temporal lobes and both occipital lobes; case 2: affecting both frontal and left occipital lobes). Cardioembolic source and acquired antiphospholipid syndrome were ruled out. COVID-19-associated coagulopathy was suspected as the possible main etiology of the strokes. CONCLUSION: Acutely altered mental status might be the main manifestation of multiple brain infarctions in critically ill COVID-19 patients. It should be specially considered in those with suspected COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. Full-dose anticoagulation and clinical-radiological monitoring might reduce their neurological consequences.
?:creator
?:doi
  • 10.1007/s10072-020-04679-w
?:doi
?:journal
  • Neurol_Sci
?:license
  • no-cc
?:pdf_json_files
  • document_parses/pdf_json/4f7b4af6c1a96a21a084ae0c0a674a4239ba4743.json
?:pmc_json_files
  • document_parses/pmc_json/PMC7431112.xml.json
?:pmcid
?:pmid
?:pmid
  • 32808174.0
?:publication_isRelatedTo_Disease
?:sha_id
?:source
  • Medline; PMC
?:title
  • Acutely altered mental status as the main clinical presentation of multiple strokes in critically ill patients with COVID-19
?:type
?:year
  • 2020-08-17

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