COVID-19 Associated Coagulopathy Resulting in Cerebral Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism

Venous stroke is an infrequent complication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acts as a causative factor for thromboembolic events such as pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), and myocardial infarction. We report a case of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) following severe COVID-19 infection, with co-incidence of pulmonary thromboembolism. A 39-year-old English lady presented with fever and cough; subsequently, she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was managed in the high dependency unit (HDU) due to the severity of symptoms; she received dexamethasone and tocilizumab. Her condition improved and she was discharged, but presented again after 15 days due to headache and left-sided weakness. Her neurological examination confirmed nystagmus, past pointing, and dysdiadochokinesia positive on the left side. Initial blood investigations showed D-dimer being raised at 1875 ng/ml. Head CT venogram reported evidence of thrombus in the superior sagittal sinus, left transverse sinus, and inferior sagittal sinus consistent with venous sinus thrombosis. She also underwent CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) which revealed lingular acute segmental PE and patchy ground-glass shadowing throughout both lung fields, confirming recent infective COVID-19 changes. She was started on a therapeutic dose of dalteparin (low-molecular-weight heparin). Luckily she made a good recovery from her neurological symptoms. Like this case and many other reported cases, COVID-19 acts as an independent risk factor for increased coagulopathy. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for CVT to aid in timely diagnosis and prompt treatment to save lives.