Aortic Pathology During COVID - 19 Pandemics. Clinical Reports in Literature and Open Questions on the two Co-Occurring Conditions

Necrotizing plasma cell-rich aortitis and sudden cardiac death: Late sequelae of COVID-19?

The ongoing epidemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is characterized by a variety of pathologic processes within the syndrome of COVID-19. Usually beginning as an upper respiratory infection with potential progression to a pneumonitis, many cases of COVID-19 that show minimal signs or symptoms initially may develop adverse systemic sequelae later, such as widespread thrombo-embolic phenomena, systemic inflammatory disorders (especially in children), or vasculitis. Here, we present a patient who suffered a sudden cardiac death following persistent SARS-CoV-2 viral positivity for four-and-one-half months after a mild clinical viral course. At routine autopsy, a remarkable plasma cell-rich necrotizing aortitis was uncovered. The aortic intima displayed diffuse, circumferential ongoing chronic intimal edema, inflammation, and neo-vascularization. The plasma cell-rich inflammatory process also involved the origin of the left main coronary artery (LM) causing a coronary arteritis accompanied by subacute, stenosing intimal vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation resulting in acute myocardial necrosis as a cause of death. A similar vasculitis and plaque were noted during the routine autopsy at the ostium of the celiac artery; vasculitis was not found systemically or in smaller caliber vessels. Through a variety of techniques including extensive histopathologic and immunohistochemical characterization, immunostaining localization of viral antigen, and transmission electron microscopy we present highly suggestive evidence that this unique necrotizing, plasma cell-rich aortitis is a rare sequela of COVID-19.

Evaluating chest pain in patients with post COVID conditions permission to think outside of the box

Chest pain is among the most common symptoms of post-COVID-19 Conditions (PCC) that prompts medical attention. Because the SARS-CoV-2 virus has proclivity for many organs and organ systems in the chest, ranging from the heart, lungs, great vessels, lymphatics, and peripheral nerves, clinicians evaluating patients with chest pain must consider a broad differential diagnosis and take a comprehensive approach to management.

Acute Aortic Injury and Bilateral Pulmonary Emboli in the Setting of COVID-19

In this report, we present the case of a 72-year-old female diagnosed with an aortic dissection variant and bilateral pulmonary emboli (PE) in the setting of Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The patient was transported from home to the emergency department (ED) via emergency medical services (EMS) with acute chest pain and dyspnea. After arriving at the ED, she was hypoxic on her baseline supplemental O2 requirement and tachycardic and tachypneic. Computed tomography (CT) angiogram of the chest showed evidence of possible thoracic aortic dissection and bilateral PE. The patient was ultimately transported to a tertiary center for operative aortic repair and bilateral embolectomy and, fortunately, survived the procedures. Interestingly, during operative repair of the aorta, no obvious dissection flap was noted, but rather evidence of a limited tear in the intimal layer of the aorta. This is an interesting case as acute aortic injuries in the setting of COVID-19 infection have not been as widely documented as PE in the setting of COVID and highlight the need for further research on the possible association between them.

Fatal association of COVID-19 and acute type A aortic dissection

Type A aortic dissection is a catastrophic event that requires prompt diagnosis and intervention to save the patient. It seems that type A aortic dissection in COVID-19 patients has increased severity, and even with immediate diagnosis, it has a high mortality.

Mimickers of Large Vessel Giant Cell Arteritis

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large-vessel granulomatous vasculitis occurring in patients over 50-year-old. Diagnosis can be challenging because there is no specific biological test or other diagnoses to consider. Two main phenotypes of GCA are distinguished and can be associated. First, cranial GCA, whose diagnosis is usually confirmed by the evidence of a non-necrotizing granulomatous panarteritis on temporal artery biopsy. Second, large-vessel GCA, whose related symptoms are less specific (fever, asthenia, and weight loss) and for which other diagnoses must be implemented if there is neither cephalic GCA nor associated polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) features chronic infection (tuberculosis, Coxiella burnetti), IgG4-related disease, Erdheim Chester disease, and other primary vasculitis (Behçet disease, relapsing polychondritis, or VEXAS syndrome). Herein, we propose a review of the main differential diagnoses to be considered regarding large vessel vasculitis.