There has been an accumulating evidence of association between COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) infection and cardiovascular complications. We describe a case of a 58-year-old lady with a history of systolic heart failure and COVID-19 infection, who developed persistent symptomatic bradycardia, requiring pacemaker placement as unusual conductive tissue involvement of this novel coronavirus.
Tocilizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor, which has been used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A range of side effects have been associated with tocilizumab, with gastrointestinal perforation (GIP) being described as a rare but potentially life-threatening complication that deserves considerable attention. The authors report a case of a young male patient with a history of challenging RA who encountered a lower GIP that was associated with tocilizumab therapy. The occurrence of tocilizumab-induced GIP in this reported patient had initially posed a diagnostic dilemma, as its clinical presentation mimicked other autoimmune inflammatory and infectious diseases that are commonly associated with RA. Physicians should be aware of GIPs as a serious adverse event of tocilizumab use despite being a rare phenomenon, particularly in the era of the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), when this novel drug has been authorized for the management of selected patients with severe COVID-19 infection. Therefore, early recognition and timely management of GIPs would minimize potential morbidities associated with critically ill COVID-19 patients.
The term "incomplete Kawasaki Disease (IKD)" was first used to describe patients with coronary complications who did not fulfill the classical diagnostic criteria for Kawasaki Disease (KD). The risk of coronary artery involvement is similar if not greater in cases of IKD. However, the recognition of IKD is challenging and often delayed, especially in infants. Multiple algorithms have been formulated to identify cases of IKD utilizing supplemental clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory features. Although fever is not required for a diagnosis of KD in the Japanese guideline, most of the current guidelines, including those of the American Heart Association (AHA), consider the presence of fever for at least seven days a requirement for the diagnosis of both KD and IKD in infants.We present a case of IKD in a four-month-old female who presented with fever for less than three days and did not follow the current AHA algorithm for IKD. An echocardiogram obtained 10 days later revealed a coronary artery aneurysm, and a retrospective diagnosis of IKD was made. A review of the literature identified similar cases with a growing consensus on the need to redefine the role of fever. Pediatricians should search for coronary artery lesions in cases of high clinical suspicion, even if the fever period is short, particularly in those less than six months. Additionally, further innovative research is directly needed to identify immunological and cellular markers that could be tested early in the course of the disease and guide the management.
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