Liver transplantation and COVID-19: a case report and cross comparison between two identical twins with COVID-19

• Published in: BMC surgery Vol. 20; no. 1; p. 181
• Main Authors: Nikoupour, Hamed, Arasteh, Peyman, Gholami, Siavash, Nikeghbalian, Saman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 08.08.2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Antiviral agents; Blood; Blood tests; Case Report; Case reports; Chills; Cholangitis; Computed tomography; Coronavirus Infections - physiopathology; Coronaviruses; Cough; COVID-19; Dyspnea; Fever; Headache; Headache - virology; Health aspects; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Imipenem; Immunosuppressive agents; Liver; Liver diseases; Liver Transplantation; Liver transplants; Male; Medical imaging; Myalgia; Nausea; Olfaction; Oxygen saturation; Pandemics; Patients; Phosphatase; Pneumonia, Viral - physiopathology; Prognosis; Respiration; Signs and symptoms; Smell; Taste; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Transplantation; Transplants & implants; Twins; Twins, Monozygotic; Ulcerative colitis; Vomiting; COVID-19; Transplantation; Prognosis; Liver
• ISSN: 1471-2482; 1471-2482
• DOI: 10.1186/s12893-020-00837-1

To this date little information exists on the effects, clinical course and outcome of the COVID-19 among patients undergoing transplantation. A 35 year old male referred with loss of sense of smell and taste after having close contact with his brother who was diagnosed with COVID-19 five days prior to his symptoms. The patient had undergone liver transplantation 3 years prior to his referral due to primary sclerosing cholangitis in association with ulcerative colitis and was using immunosuppressive medications. The patient referred to a local physician with mild symptoms of fatigue, cough, myalgia, dizziness, and nausea/vomiting with a fear of contracting the disease. Except for a CRP of 32 his other blood tests were normal. After 3 days of hospital admission the patient was discharged with a good condition. His brother had developed fever, chills, headache, mild dyspnea and an objective loss of sense of smell and taste and was sent home and advised to self-quarantine. Both patients had CT scans in favor of COVID-19. Our patient who had liver transplantation and COVID-19 did not present more severe symptoms compared to his counterpart without liver transplantation and did not need to be hospitalized or be given antiviral drugs for COVID-19.