Caught off guard with covid 19-bowel gangrene: A case report

Abstract

Background: Isolated and predominant gastrointestinal presentation in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reported less often. With evolving evidence that gastrointestinal tract can be a portal of entry, multiplication, primary site of affliction and symptomatic manifestation, and source of infectivity through prolonged fecal shedding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) virus, it is essential that isolated gastrointestinal symptoms can also be a mode of presentation of this novel virus and illness. Case description: The index case is a 10-year-old female child who presented with acute onset abdominal pain. Emergency surgery showed extensive gangrenous small bowel. The small bowel had herniated into a transmesenteric defect near the mid ileum and was obstructed. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV2 sent as preoperative work up turned positive. The histopathology showed platelet aggregate thrombus in the venules with patent adjacent arterioles. Conclusion: This is probably the first reported case of COVID-19-related bowel gangrene.