Unusual Presentation of a Severe COVID-19 Case With Axillary Artery Thrombosis

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been evolving since early 2020 with high critical care mortality and morbidity. High mortality rates have been linked largely to respiratory failure. Hypercoagulability status induced by the massive inflammatory storm has led to a high rate of thrombotic events, whether arterial or venous, contributing to COVID-19 mortality especially in critically ill patients. Thrombotic events might be the presenting feature of the disease or might happen during hospitalization. In this case report, we describe a case of a 67-year-old male with severe COVID-19 pneumonia who was found on presentation to have left axillary artery thrombosis requiring embolectomy; the case was managed successfully. We reviewed the pathophysiology of hypercoagulability associated with COVID-19, clinical implications, and most recent treatment recommendations.