Background: Thrombotic complications of COVID-19 infection have become increasingly apparent as the disease has infected a growing number of individuals. Although less common than upper respiratory symptoms, thrombotic complications are not infrequent and may result in severe and long-term sequelae. Common thrombotic complications include pulmonary embolism, cerebral infarction, or venous thromboembolism; less commonly seen are acute myocardial injury, renal artery thrombosis, and mesenteric ischemia. Several case reports and case series have described acute myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19 characterized by elevations in serum biomarkers.
Case report: Here, we report the first case to our knowledge of a patient with acute coronary syndrome confirmed on catheter angiography and cardiac MRI. This patient was found to additionally have a left ventricular thrombus and ultimately suffered an acute cerebral infarction. Recognition of thrombotic complications in the setting of COVID-19 infection is essential for initiating appropriate therapy.
Conclusions: In acute myocardial injury, given the different treatment strategies for myocarditis versus acute myocardial infarction secondary to coronary artery thrombus, imaging can play a key role in clinical decision making for patients.
Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; COVID-19; Cardiac MRI; Thrombosis.
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