Epipericardial Fat Necrosis: A Rare, Potential Complication of Covid-19 Pneumonia

You, Joseph; Hou, Linle; Chatterjee, Saurav; Bhansali, Rohan D.

doi:10.1016/s0735-1097(22)03361-7

Cited by 1 publication

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“…We have described a rare case of EFN in a patient with a recent COVID-19. We also highlight two recently reported cases of EFN in patients with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection suggesting the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 is likely to induce EFN [ 3 , 4 ] . To explain this possible association, we identified a close link between SARS-CoV-2 and visceral fat [ 5 ] .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Epipericardial fat necrosis and COVID-19

Haseeb,

Shafiq,

Sheikh

et al. 2024

European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine

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Background: Epipericardial fat necrosis (EFN) is a rare and self-limiting cause of acute chest pain. We describe a case of EFN in a patient with a recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Case Presentation: A 55-year-old male presented with a sudden onset of left-sided pleuritic chest pain for the past two days. The patient was diaphoretic, tachypneic, and tachycardic. Acute coronary syndrome was ruled out. A computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiogram revealed an ovoid encapsulated fatty mass surrounded by dense appearing tissue. Patient symptoms improved remarkably with a short course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Discussion: EFN typically presents with a sudden onset of excruciating chest pain. Misdiagnosis, under-diagnosis, and mismanagement are unavoidable. EFN is incidentally diagnosed on CT scan. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects visceral adipose tissue and appears to increase the risk of EFN by promoting inflammatory cytokine production and death of adipocytes. Conclusion: EFN is a rare cause of acute chest pain. SARS-CoV-2 is likely to induce EFN. This rare clinical entity should be considered in the differential of acute chest pain especially in patients with active or recent COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%