Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis in a Patient with COVID-19 Infection. 2020

Szeya Cheung, and Alain Delgado Fuentes, and Alan D Fetterman
Department of Internal Medicine, Long Island Community Hospital, Patchogue, NY, USA.

BACKGROUND The novel COVID-19 disease has infected more than 2 million people worldwide, causing more than 120 000 deaths. While the disease is known to primarily affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal manifestations can also occur. However, little is known about the development of acute pancreatitis in COVID-19. The present report highlights a patient with no precipitating risk factors for pancreatitis who presented with recurring acute pancreatitis following the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. CASE REPORT An otherwise healthy 38-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with fever and epigastric pain. Laboratory testing revealed a lipase level of 10 255 ukat/L. An abdominal ultrasound showed no gallstones. After ruling out the possible causes of acute pancreatitis, a diagnosis of idiopathic acute pancreatitis was made. He received conservative management and was discharged home after being medically stabilized. Of note, the patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection at a local testing center 1 week prior to presenting to the ED. One week following the discharge, the patient returned with recurrent severe epigastric pain. Laboratory testing showed a lipase level of 20 320 ukat/L. An abdominal CT revealed acute pancreatitis. Further workups, including abdominal ultrasound, hepatitis serology, and immunoglobulin G for autoimmune pancreatitis, were unrevealing. Repeated SARS-CoV-2 testing produced positive results. CONCLUSIONS The temporal relationship between clinical presentation of acute pancreatitis and SARS-CoV-2 infection in this patient with no precipitating risk factors for pancreatitis suggests COVID-19-associated acute pancreatitis. Our review of the literature found a handful of reported cases of acute pancreatitis in patients with coexisting SARS-CoV-2 infection, and this report presents the first presumptive case of COVID-19-associated recurring acute pancreatitis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010195 Pancreatitis INFLAMMATION of the PANCREAS. Pancreatitis is classified as acute unless there are computed tomographic or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographic findings of CHRONIC PANCREATITIS (International Symposium on Acute Pancreatitis, Atlanta, 1992). The two most common forms of acute pancreatitis are ALCOHOLIC PANCREATITIS and gallstone pancreatitis. Acute Edematous Pancreatitis,Acute Pancreatitis,Pancreatic Parenchyma with Edema,Pancreatic Parenchymal Edema,Pancreatitis, Acute,Pancreatitis, Acute Edematous,Peripancreatic Fat Necrosis,Acute Edematous Pancreatitides,Acute Pancreatitides,Edema, Pancreatic Parenchymal,Edematous Pancreatitides, Acute,Edematous Pancreatitis, Acute,Fat Necrosis, Peripancreatic,Necrosis, Peripancreatic Fat,Pancreatic Parenchymal Edemas,Pancreatitides, Acute,Pancreatitides, Acute Edematous,Parenchymal Edema, Pancreatic,Peripancreatic Fat Necroses
D011024 Pneumonia, Viral Inflammation of the lung parenchyma that is caused by a viral infection. Pneumonias, Viral,Viral Pneumonia,Viral Pneumonias
D012008 Recurrence The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. Recrudescence,Relapse,Recrudescences,Recurrences,Relapses
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000073640 Betacoronavirus A genus of the family CORONAVIRIDAE which causes respiratory or gastrointestinal disease in a variety of mostly mammals. Human betacoronaviruses include HUMAN ENTERIC CORONAVIRUS; HUMAN CORONAVIRUS OC43; MERS VIRUS; and SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME-RELATED CORONAVIRUS. Members have either core transcription regulatory sequences of 5’-CUAAAC-3’ or 5’-CUAAAC-3’ and mostly have no ORF downstream to the N protein gene. HCoV-HKU1,Human coronavirus HKU1,Pipistrellus bat coronavirus HKU5,Rousettus bat coronavirus HKU9,Tylonycteris bat coronavirus HKU4,Betacoronaviruses
D000086382 COVID-19 A viral disorder generally characterized by high FEVER; COUGH; DYSPNEA; CHILLS; PERSISTENT TREMOR; MUSCLE PAIN; HEADACHE; SORE THROAT; a new loss of taste and/or smell (see AGEUSIA and ANOSMIA) and other symptoms of a VIRAL PNEUMONIA. In severe cases, a myriad of coagulopathy associated symptoms often correlating with COVID-19 severity is seen (e.g., BLOOD COAGULATION; THROMBOSIS; ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME; SEIZURES; HEART ATTACK; STROKE; multiple CEREBRAL INFARCTIONS; KIDNEY FAILURE; catastrophic ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROME and/or DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION). In younger patients, rare inflammatory syndromes are sometimes associated with COVID-19 (e.g., atypical KAWASAKI SYNDROME; TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME; pediatric multisystem inflammatory disease; and CYTOKINE STORM SYNDROME). A coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in the genus BETACORONAVIRUS is the causative agent. 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease,2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection,2019-nCoV Disease,2019-nCoV Infection,COVID-19 Pandemic,COVID-19 Pandemics,COVID-19 Virus Disease,COVID-19 Virus Infection,Coronavirus Disease 2019,Coronavirus Disease-19,SARS Coronavirus 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infection,Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection,COVID19,2019 nCoV Disease,2019 nCoV Infection,2019-nCoV Diseases,2019-nCoV Infections,COVID 19,COVID 19 Pandemic,COVID 19 Virus Disease,COVID 19 Virus Infection,COVID-19 Virus Diseases,COVID-19 Virus Infections,Coronavirus Disease 19,Disease 2019, Coronavirus,Disease, 2019-nCoV,Disease, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, 2019-nCoV,Infection, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, SARS-CoV-2,Pandemic, COVID-19,SARS CoV 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infections,Virus Disease, COVID-19,Virus Infection, COVID-19
D000086402 SARS-CoV-2 A species of BETACORONAVIRUS causing atypical respiratory disease (COVID-19) in humans. The organism was first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, China. The natural host is the Chinese intermediate horseshoe bat, RHINOLOPHUS affinis. 2019 Novel Coronavirus,COVID-19 Virus,COVID19 Virus,Coronavirus Disease 2019 Virus,SARS Coronavirus 2,SARS-CoV-2 Virus,Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2,Wuhan Coronavirus,Wuhan Seafood Market Pneumonia Virus,2019-nCoV,2019 Novel Coronaviruses,COVID 19 Virus,COVID-19 Viruses,COVID19 Viruses,Coronavirus 2, SARS,Coronavirus, 2019 Novel,Coronavirus, Wuhan,Novel Coronavirus, 2019,SARS CoV 2 Virus,SARS-CoV-2 Viruses,Virus, COVID-19,Virus, COVID19,Virus, SARS-CoV-2,Viruses, COVID19
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D014057 Tomography, X-Ray Computed Tomography using x-ray transmission and a computer algorithm to reconstruct the image. CAT Scan, X-Ray,CT Scan, X-Ray,Cine-CT,Computerized Tomography, X-Ray,Electron Beam Computed Tomography,Tomodensitometry,Tomography, Transmission Computed,X-Ray Tomography, Computed,CAT Scan, X Ray,CT X Ray,Computed Tomography, X-Ray,Computed X Ray Tomography,Computerized Tomography, X Ray,Electron Beam Tomography,Tomography, X Ray Computed,Tomography, X-Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized Axial,Tomography, Xray Computed,X Ray Computerized Tomography,X Ray Tomography, Computed,X-Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,Beam Tomography, Electron,CAT Scans, X-Ray,CT Scan, X Ray,CT Scans, X-Ray,CT X Rays,Cine CT,Computed Tomography, Transmission,Computed Tomography, X Ray,Computed Tomography, Xray,Computed X-Ray Tomography,Scan, X-Ray CAT,Scan, X-Ray CT,Scans, X-Ray CAT,Scans, X-Ray CT,Tomographies, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Electron Beam,Tomography, X Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X Ray Computerized,Tomography, X Ray Computerized Axial,Transmission Computed Tomography,X Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,X Ray, CT,X Rays, CT,X-Ray CAT Scan,X-Ray CAT Scans,X-Ray CT Scan,X-Ray CT Scans,X-Ray Computed Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Tomography,Xray Computed Tomography

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