Is it all MIS-C? Unusual findings in a series of nine German patients with multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children after SARS-CoV-2 infection

• Published in: International journal of infectious diseases Vol. 106; pp. 405 - 408
• Main Authors: Mehler, Katrin, Jung, Norma, Oberthuer, Andre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2021; The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases; Elsevier
• Subjects: Children; COVID-19; MIS-C; PIMS; SARS-CoV-2 infection; Short Communication; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 infection; MIS-C; PIMS; Children
• ISSN: 1201-9712; 1878-3511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.04.044

•As COVID-19 numbers were increasing in Germany so did multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C).•Latency between SARS-CoV-2 infection and MIS-C was 4–6 weeks in the case series.•MIS-C may present as encephalomyelitis or in parallel with acute leukaemia. Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a post-viral inflammatory vasculopathy of children and adolescents following Covid-19 infection. Since the incidence of SARS-CoV-infections has been increasing in Germany since October 2020, we observe an increasing number of children presenting with MIS-C. We present detailed clinical characteristics of a cohort of nine children with MIS-C admitted to a tertiary PICU at the University Hospital of Cologne between March 2020 and February 2021. The clinical sings and symptoms are largely in line with recent reports. All but one patient had positive SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Latency form infection to MIS-C was 4–6 weeks. Two children presented with unusual findings: A girl had encephalomyelitis and a boy developed MIS-C side to side with acute leukemia. MIS-C has been increasing in Germany paralell to SARS-CoV-2 infections. Rarely, unuasual findings may be associated with MIS-C.