Article Text
Abstract
A 49-year-old man presented with shortness of breath and fever. He was in diabetic ketoacidosis on admission and tested positive for COVID-19 on PCR. He became bacteraemic with streptococcus pneu- moniae secondary to a super-added left lower lobe pneumonia. He developed new heart failure felt to be secondary to myocarditis, evidenced by a resolving ejection fraction throughout his admission and an unremarkable cardiac MRI. After developing confusion on the ward, a CT head and MRI brain identified a spontaneous frontal haematoma and multiple micro-haemorrhages throughout the cerebral hemi- spheres, cerebellum and the pons. Repeat MRI brain with diffusion weighted imaging identified multiple silent infarcts in the small vessel territories. Bacterial endocarditis was excluded with Cardiology input and hypoperfusion also excluded based on normotension throughout admission. The case was discussed at the Encephalitis and Neurovascular MDT meetings where MRI vessel wall imaging was reviewed and felt to represent a post-infectious endotheliitis. He was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone for 3 days and a further 5 days, due to new silent infarcts on a subsequent MRI brain, before a 10 week oral steroid taper. Multi-system complications from COVID-19 are not limited to those in the intensive care unit or with severe respiratory illness.