Concomitant calciphylaxis and COVID-19 associated thrombotic retiform purpura

Skeletal Radiol. 2020 Nov;49(11):1879-1884. doi: 10.1007/s00256-020-03579-6. Epub 2020 Aug 26.

Abstract

While initial reports regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) focused on its pulmonary manifestations, more recent literature describes multisystem abnormalities related to its associated microvascular angiopathy. Calciphylaxis is a rare systemic condition characterized by tissue necrosis in the setting of systemic microvascular calcifications. Both COVID-19 and calciphylaxis are procoagulant diagnoses associated with vascular-mediated cutaneous findings. To our knowledge, this is the first report to document the coexistence of COVID-19 associated retiform thrombotic purpura and calciphylaxis in a single patient, to link the pathologic etiologies of the two entities, and to describe the concomitant diagnoses' associated radiologic findings.

Keywords: COVID-19; CT; Calciphylaxis; Panniculitis; Ultrasound.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Calciphylaxis / complications*
  • Calciphylaxis / diagnostic imaging
  • Calciphylaxis / pathology
  • Computed Tomography Angiography / methods
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / pathology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lower Extremity / diagnostic imaging
  • Lower Extremity / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / pathology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Purpura / complications*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Ultrasonography / methods