Bilateral macular hemorrhage in a patient with COVID-19
Rossella D’Aloisio, Vincenzo Nasillo, Matteo Gironi, Rodolfo Mastropasqua
Abstract
PURPOSE: We report a case of a patient with a known hereditary spherocytosis who developed a bilateral macular hemorrhage in concurrence with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related respiratory syndrome. OBSERVATIONS: Blood tests showed severe hemolytic anemia. Interestingly, the peripheral blood smear demonstrated a mixed pathogenesis of the hemolytic process (cold-agglutinin-mediated and non-immune-mediated due to spherocytosis). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: We argue that SARS-CoV-2 could have triggered the hemolytic process, which led to retinal hemorrhages due to endothelial anoxia from the low oxygen carrying capacity.
Topics & Concepts
MedicineHereditary spherocytosisSpherocytosisHemolytic anemiaPathogenesisCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)OphthalmologyImmunologyPathologyInternal medicineDiseaseSplenectomySpleenInfectious disease (medical specialty)Retinal and Optic ConditionsCOVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesLong-Term Effects of COVID-19