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Histopathology of persistent long COVID toe: A case report.

Author
Abstract
:

During the 2020 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, several cutaneous lesions were identified, including pseudo-chilblain, vesicular, urticarial, maculopapular, and livedo/necrosis. A 59-year-old obese man with probable COVID-19 developed painful cyanosis with histopathologic capillary thrombosis of toes, and the cyanosis persisted for nearly 22 months. Shortly after initial exposure to family members with documented SARS-CoV-2, he developed upper respiratory symptoms, yet his anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody and nasal swab RT-PCR tests were repeatedly negative. Two family members were hospitalized and one of them succumbed with documented SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia within 10 days of exposure. Biopsy specimen of the distal toe 16 weeks after initial exposure showed papillary dermal capillary thrombosis with endothelial swelling, telangiectasia, and peri-eccrine lymphocytic infiltrates resembling pernio. Overall, this is the first case of biopsy specimen of "long COVID toe" following presumed SARS-CoV-2 exposure, with a demonstration of thrombotic vasculopathy, toe cyanosis, and pernio-like pathology.

Year of Publication
:
2022
Journal
:
Journal of cutaneous pathology
Volume
:
49
Issue
:
9
Number of Pages
:
791-794
ISSN Number
:
0303-6987
URL
:
https://doi.org/10.1111/cup.14240
DOI
:
10.1111/cup.14240
Short Title
:
J Cutan Pathol
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