SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia with Venous Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism, and Adrenal Haemorrhage: A Case Report with Literature Review

Post-COVID-19 Vaccine Thromboembolic Complication in the Setting of Newly Diagnosed May-Thurner Syndrome

May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) can lead to deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in the left lower extremity, and it is often triggered by factors such as surgery or pregnancy. We present a rare case where the risk factor for thromboembolism in MTS is a complication from COVID-19 vaccination. A 44-year-old female who presented with fatigue, fever, and myalgia had developed thromboembolism as a complication of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Diagnostic criteria for vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) should be considered in such cases that include symptoms within 5-30 days post vaccination, elevated D-dimer, and thrombosis. Treatment involved anticoagulants and intervention for MTS included thrombectomy and stent placement. Recognition of post-COVID-19 vaccination complications such as VITT is crucial for early intervention and patient awareness during vaccination decisions.

COVID-19 pandemic and adrenals: deep insights and implications in patients with glucocorticoid disorders

PURPOSE

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world. It was initially defined as a potentially severe syndrome affecting the respiratory tract, but it has since been shown to be a systemic disease with relevant extrapulmonary manifestations that increase mortality. The endocrine system has been found to be vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. The current review aims to evaluate the available data on the impact of COVID-19 infection and treatment, as well as COVID-19 vaccines, on adrenal gland function, particularly in patients with GC disorders.

METHODS

A thorough search of published peer-reviewed studies in PubMed was performed using proper keywords.

RESULTS

Adrenal viral tropism and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication in the adrenal glands have been demonstrated, and adrenal insufficiency (AI) is a rare, but potentially severe complication in COVID-19 disease, whose recognition can be difficult if only for the empirical treatments administered in the early stages. Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment have had a pivotal role in preventing clinical deterioration in patients with COVID-19, but long-term GC use may increase COVID-19-related mortality and the development of iatrogenic AI. Patients with GC disorders, especially AI and Cushing's syndrome, have been identified as being at high risk of COVID-19 infection and complications. Published evidence suggests that AI patient awareness and proper education may help adjust GC replacement therapy appropriately when necessary, thereby reducing COVID-19 severity. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on AI management, particularly in terms of adherence to patients' care plans and self-perceived challenges. On the other hand, published evidence suggests that the clinical course of COVID-19 may be affected by the severity of hypercortisolism in patients with CS. Therefore, to ameliorate the risk profile in these patients, cortisol levels should be adequately controlled, along with careful monitoring of metabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities. To date, the COVID-19 vaccine remains the only available tool to face SARS-CoV-2, and it should not be treated differently in patients with AI and CS.

CONCLUSION

SARS-CoV-2 infection has been linked to adrenal damage and AI is a rare complication in COVID-19 disease, requiring prompt recognition. Educational efforts and patient awareness may reduce COVID-19 severity in patients with AI. Control of cortisol levels and monitoring of complications may improve the clinical course of COVID-19 in patients with CS.

Approach to the Patient With Adrenal Hemorrhage

Adrenal hemorrhage is an uncommon, underrecognized condition that can be encountered in several clinical contexts. Diagnosing adrenal hemorrhage is challenging due to its nonspecific clinical features. Therefore, it remains a diagnosis that is made serendipitously on imaging of acutely unwell patients rather than with prospective clinical suspicion. Adrenal hemorrhage can follow abdominal trauma or appear on a background of predisposing conditions such as adrenal tumors, sepsis, or coagulopathy. Adrenal hemorrhage is also increasingly reported in patients with COVID-19 infection and in the context of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. Unexplained abdominal pain with hemodynamic instability in a patient with a predisposing condition should alert the physician to the possibility of adrenal hemorrhage. Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage can lead to adrenal insufficiency and potentially fatal adrenal crisis without timely recognition and treatment. In this article, we highlight the clinical circumstances that are associated with higher risk of adrenal hemorrhage, encouraging clinicians to prospectively consider the diagnosis, and we share a diagnostic and management strategy.

COVID-19-related adrenal haemorrhage: Multicentre UK experience and systematic review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

Adrenal haemorrhage (AH) is an uncommon, usually incidental imaging finding in acutely unwell patients. AH has been reported during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and following ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccination. The Society for Endocrinology (SfE) established a task force to describe the UK experience of COVID-19-related AH.

DESIGN

A systematic literature review was undertaken. A survey was conducted through the SfE clinical membership to identify patients with COVID-19-related AH using a standardized data collection tool.

RESULTS

The literature search yielded 25 cases of COVID-19-related AH (19 bilateral; 13 infection-related, and 12 vaccine-related). Eight UK centres responded to the survey with at least one case. A total of 18 cases were included in the descriptive study, including 11 from the survey and 7 UK-based patients from the systematic review. Seven patients (4 males; median age 53 (range 26-70) years), had infection-related AH (four bilateral). Median time from positive COVID-19 test to AH detection was 8 (range 1-30) days. Eleven cases of vaccine-related AH (eight bilateral) were captured (3 males; median age 47 (range 23-78) years). Median time between vaccination (nine Oxford-AstraZeneca and two Pfizer-BioNTech) and AH was 9 (range 2-27) days; 9/11 AH occurred after the first vaccine dose. Acute abdominal pain was the commonest presentation (72%) in AH of any cause. All 12 patients with bilateral AH and one patient with unilateral AH required glucocorticoid replacement.

CONCLUSION

Adrenal haemorrhage with consequential adrenal insufficiency can be a complication of COVID-19 infection and vaccination. Adrenal function assessment is mandatory to avoid the potentially fatal consequences of unrecognized adrenal insufficiency.

Acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Following Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccines: Two Case Reports and a Short Literature Review

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak in December 2019, causing millions of deaths all over the world, and the lack of specific treatment for severe forms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have led to the development of vaccines in record time, increasing the risk of vaccine safety issues. Recently, several cases of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) have been reported following COVID-19 vaccination. TTP is a rare disease characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and ischemic end-organ lesions. It can be either congenital or acquired. Various events such as viral infections, medication, pregnancy, malignancies, and vaccinations may cause TTP. Here, we report two cases of acquired TTP following Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine (BBIBP-CorV) and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac). Diagnosis was based on clinical presentation and confirmed with a severe reduction in the activity of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease ADAMTS-13 and the presence of inhibitory autoantibodies. The two patients were successfully treated with corticosteroids, plasma exchange therapy and rituximab in the acute phase. In the literature, the reported cases of TTP induced by COVID-19 vaccination occurred after Adenoviral Vector DNA- and SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-Based COVID-19 vaccines. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of acquired TTP after inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccination.

Endocrine system after 2 years of COVID-19 vaccines: A narrative review of the literature

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe the current knowledge on the potential endocrine adverse effects post-COVID-19 vaccines.

METHODS

A PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus research was performed. Case reports, case series, original studies, and reviews written in English and published online up to 31 July 2022 were selected and reviewed. The final reference list was defined based on the relevance of each paper to the scope of this review.

RESULTS

The available data showed that endocrine side effects are generally rare and with favorable outcome, being thyroid disorders the most common. Conversely, data on type 1 diabetes mellitus are rare; adrenal and pituitary events are even anecdotal. Finally, the available clinical studies suggest no impact on female reproductive system and on male and couple fertility.

CONCLUSION

Overall, these data show that, after 2 years of COVID-19 vaccines, the endocrine system is not heavily threatened.