Ectopia cordis in an adult patient with COVID‐19: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Ectopia cordis (EC) is a rare congenital condition characterized by a partial or complete defect of the anterior chest wall. It is associated with ventricular and atrial septal defects (ASD), Ebstein's anomaly, truncus arteriosus, transposition of the great vessels, tetralogy of Fallot, and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This study aimed to explore the cardiac manifestations of EC complicated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). A 23‐year‐old male, born with EC, was admitted to the hospital for acute cough and fever. The patient was diagnosed with EC and ASD by computed tomography and COVID‐19 via a polymerase chain reaction swab test. Patients with ECs rarely survive till adulthood. However, due to the rarity of this syndrome, upon literature review, we did not find a case of EC with concurrent COVID‐19 infection. The patient underwent the required investigations and conventional treatment such as fluid resuscitation, antibiotics administration, and full code cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The interventions performed were unsuccessful, and the patient died. This case demonstrates a patient who lived with EC and its associated cardiac anomalies but died of COVID‐19 and its complications despite full resuscitation attempts. Our findings suggest that patients with EC may survive to adulthood if they have an incomplete EC, fewer intracardiac defects except for ASD, and an absence of an omphalocele.

Ectopia Cordis as a Lethal Neonatal Condition: A Case Report from Bahrain and a Literature Review

“…Lastly, in the same year, Kebalo et al in the Togolese Republic reported a case of midsternal defect of ectopia cordis and the newborn expired 22 hours after birth which also made them unable to perform any procedure [ 29 ]. The most recent case reported in the year 2022 from Saudi Arabia by Alshamiri et al was a case of incomplete ectopia cordis in a 23-year-old male, who expired due to COVID-19 infection [ 30 ]. This last patient might indicate that in patients with incomplete or partial ectopia cordis, survival may be possible.…”

Omphalocele and Cardiac Abnormalities—The Importance of the Association

“…It is obvious that the cardiac anomaly has priority over the surgical treatment of the omphalocele, and after covering the pericardial defect and closing the chest wall defect, the management of the case will be established according to the cardiac structural anomalies. The prognosis is usually poor, but patients may survive to adulthood if they have an incomplete EC, fewer intracardiac defects except for ASD, and absence of an omphalocele [ 32 ].…”