Digital ischemic necrosis in a patient with systematic lupus erythematosus patient after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection: a case report

TL;DR

A young woman with lupus developed severe finger damage after recovering from COVID-19 due to increased blood clotting risks.

Contribution

Highlights the increased thrombosis risk in autoimmune patients post-COVID-19 and the need for careful anticoagulation.

Findings

Digital ischemic gangrene occurred in a lupus patient after recovering from COVID-19.

Hypercoagulability from both lupus and SARS-CoV-2 contributed to the condition.

Strict anticoagulation management is needed for autoimmune patients post-viral infections.

Abstract

Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 have a high incidence of thrombosis that decreases after recovery. When coronavirus disease 2019 is accompanied by diseases prone to thrombosis, risk of post-infection thrombotic events may increase.

We report a case of digital ischemic gangrene in a 24-year-old Chinese female with systemic lupus erythematosus after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019. The pathogenesis was related to clinical characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus, hypercoagulability caused by coronavirus disease 2019, and second-hit due to viral infection.

Patients with autoimmune diseases should remain alert to autoimmune system disorders induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and other viruses. Treatment for these patients should be strictly standardized, and appropriate anticoagulation methods should be selected to prevent thrombosis.

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