Thrombosis of the pulmonary arteries branches as a complication of COVID-19 pneumonia (a case report)

Abstract

The article presents a rare case of thrombosis of the pulmonary arteries branches, which developed in a patient two months after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that caused bilateral polysegmental pneumonia. The thrombosis was suspected because of a high plasma D-dimer level. Contrast-enhanced chest CT was performed to make a definitive diagnosis. The absence of blood clots in the veins of the lower extremities and pelvis allowed us to conclude that the patient did not have thromboembolism, but rather a pulmonary thrombosis in situ. Such possible causes of venousthromboembolic complications as tumors, systemic diseases of the connective tissue, and antiphospholipid syndrome were excluded based on negative tests for tumor and autoimmune diseases markers. The long-stay in the hospital was associated with the inability of the patient to maintain the normal level of blood oxygen saturation independently due to the large area of the lung damage associated with COVID-19 pneumonia and ischemia caused by thrombosis of the branches of the pulmonary arteries.