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Mocanu A, Bogos RA, Lazaruc TI, Cianga AL, Lupu VV, Ioniuc I, Alecsa M, Lupu A, Ivanov AV, Miron IC, Starcea IM. Pitfalls of Thrombotic Microangiopathies in Children: Two Case Reports and Literature Review. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13071228. [PMID: 37046448 PMCID: PMC10093431 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13071228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Thrombotic microangiopathy can present itself in the form of several clinical entities, representing a real challenge for diagnosis and treatment in pediatric practice. Our article aims to explore the evolution of two rare cases of pediatric thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) with extremely similar clinical pictures, which, coincidentally, presented at approximately the same time in our hospital. These cases and our literature review demonstrate the multiple facets of thrombotic microangiopathy, which can produce various determinations and salient manifestations even among the pediatric population. TTP and aHUS may represent genuine diagnostic pitfalls through the overlap of their clinical and biological findings, although they develop through fundamentally different mechanisms that require different therapeutic approaches. As a novelty, we underline that COVID-19 infection cannot be excluded as potential trigger for TTP and aHUS in our patients and we predict that other reports of such an association will follow, raising a complex question of COVID-19's implication in the occurrence and evolution of thrombotic microangiopathies. On this matter, we conducted literature research that resulted in 15 cases of COVID-19 pediatric infections associated with either TTP or aHUS. Taking into consideration the morbidity associated with TTP and aHUS, an elaborate differential diagnosis and prompt intervention are of the essence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Mocanu
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Nephrology Division, St. Mary's Emergency Children Hospital, 700309 Iasi, Romania
| | - Roxana Alexandra Bogos
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Nephrology Division, St. Mary's Emergency Children Hospital, 700309 Iasi, Romania
| | - Tudor Ilie Lazaruc
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Anca Lavinia Cianga
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Vasile Valeriu Lupu
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Ileana Ioniuc
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Mirabela Alecsa
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Ancuta Lupu
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Anca Viorica Ivanov
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Ingrith Crenguta Miron
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Iuliana Magdalena Starcea
- Mother and Child Medicine Department, Discipline of Pediatrics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Nephrology Division, St. Mary's Emergency Children Hospital, 700309 Iasi, Romania
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Islam MA, Cavestro C, Alam SS, Kundu S, Kamal MA, Reza F. Encephalitis in Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic Evidence-Based Analysis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162575. [PMID: 36010650 PMCID: PMC9406394 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) predominantly infects the respiratory system, several investigations have shown the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) along the course of the illness, with encephalitis being one of the symptoms. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the characteristics (clinical, neuro-radiological aspects, and laboratory features) and outcomes of encephalitis in COVID-19 patients. PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1 December 2019 until 21 July 2022 to identify case reports and case series published on COVID-19 associated with encephalitis. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. This systematic review included 79 studies, including 91 COVID-19 patients (52.7% male) experiencing encephalitis, where 85.6% were adults (49.3 ± 20.2 years), and 14.4% were children (11.2 ± 7.6 years). RT-PCR was used to confirm 92.2% of the COVID-19 patients. Encephalitis-related symptoms were present in 78.0% of COVID-19 patients at the time of diagnosis. In these encephalitis patients, seizure (29.5%), confusion (23.2%), headache (20.5%), disorientation (15.2%), and altered mental status (11.6%) were the most frequently reported neurologic manifestations. Looking at the MRI, EEG, and CSF findings, 77.6%, 75.5%, and 64.1% of the patients represented abnormal results. SARS-CoV-2-associated or -mediated encephalitis were the most common type observed (59.3%), followed by autoimmune encephalitis (18.7%). Among the included patients, 66.7% were discharged (37.8% improved and 28.9% fully recovered), whereas 20.0% of the reported COVID-19-positive encephalitis patients died. Based on the quality assessment, 87.4% of the studies were of high quality. Although in COVID-19, encephalitis is not a typical phenomenon, SARS-CoV-2 seems like a neuropathogen affecting the brain even when there are no signs of respiratory illness, causing a high rate of disability and fatality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Asiful Islam
- Department of Haematology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu 16150, Malaysia
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Cinzia Cavestro
- Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, San Lazzaro Hospital, ASL CN2, 12051 Alba, CN, Italy
| | - Sayeda Sadia Alam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh
| | - Shoumik Kundu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Amjad Kamal
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22230, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
- Enzymoics, 7 Peterlee Place, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, NSW 2770, Australia
| | - Faruque Reza
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
- Correspondence:
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