University of Wisconsin–Madison Medical College of Wisconsin

Pericarditis as a Secondary Complication of COVID-19 in a Renal Transplant Patient

Taylor Brockman, BS; Leilani Hernandez, MPH; Tej Mehta, MD; Bipin Thapa, MD, MS, FACP

WMJ. 2021;120(4):313-315.

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ABSTRACT

Introduction: A wide range of complications from COVID-19 are being reported, including cardiac complications.

Case Presentation: A 71-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by focal segmental glomerular sclerosis status post kidney transplant presented with worsening left-sided chest pain after receiving treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia at an outside hospital. She was subsequently diagnosed with acute pericarditis, likely secondary to viral infection with COVID-19, and was successfully treated with aspirin and colchicine for 90 days without complications.

Discussion: NSAIDs and colchicine are mainstays in acute pericarditis treatment. Though treatment presented a potential challenge given this patient’s prior kidney transplant, aspirin and colchicine proved to be effective in treating her case of COVID-19-associated pericarditis.

Conclusion: This report has implications for future treatment of renal transplant patients with COVID-19-related pericarditis and emphasizes the need for research into the pathophysiology of pericarditis in the context of COVID-19, including risk factors and treatment.


Author Affiliations: Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Brockman, Hernandez, Mehta, Thapa); Interventional Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (Mehta).
Corresponding Author: Taylor Brockman, BS, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226; email taybrockman@mcw.edu.
Funding/Support: None declared.
Financial Disclosures: None declared.
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