key: cord-273150-bz617ovx
authors: John, Teny M.; Malek, Alexandre E.; Shpall, Elizabeth J.; Mulanovich, Victor E.; Adachi, Javier A.; Raad, Issam I.; Aitken, Samuel L.; Hamilton, Alexis Ruth; Jain, Nitin; Klein, Kimberly; Martinez, Fernando; Rezvani, Katayoun; Jacob, Ceena N.; Cherian, Sujith V.; Manzano, Joanna-Grace M.; Wegner, Robert; Muthu, Mayoora
title: Migratory Pulmonary Infiltrates in a Patient with COVID-19 Infection and the Role of Corticosteroids
date: 2020-06-24
journal: Mayo Clin Proc
DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.06.023
sha: 
doc_id: 273150
cord_uid: bz617ovx

nan

Introduction:

The emergence of 2019 novel coronavirus has led to a global pandemic and has threatened the life of millions of people. This disease is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that results in respiratory failure, multiple organ dysfunction and death. 1 Little is known about the spectrum of clinical presentations of COVID-19 in cancer patients. 2 Herein, we present a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who developed organizing pneumonia (OP) as a late manifestation of COVID-19 after an initial improvement, who was successfully treated with corticosteroids.

A 62-year-old woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus presented with low-grade fever, cough, and shortness of breath of one-week duration. Her CLL was treated with rituximab initially that was switched to ibrutinib three months earlier but was discontinued a few days before her hospitalization due to palpitations and arthralgia. On admission, she was hypoxic, requiring supplemental oxygen at 2 L/min to maintain oxygen saturation, SpO2 > 93%, and in atrial fibrillation with no hemodynamic instability. Laboratory studies were significant only for elevated CRP at 74 mg/L (normal < 10mg/L). Nasopharyngeal swab specimen for reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 was positive, but negative for other respiratory viruses. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest showed bilateral ground-glass opacities (Figure 1, panel A) . The patient was enrolled in John 4 the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 expanded access program for convalescent plasma (CCP) on day 9 of her illness and received one dose of CCP. The patient's respiratory status rapidly improved the day following CCP transfusion, maintaining SpO2 on room air.

After three days, the patient developed daily low-grade fevers and increasing shortness of breath, requiring supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula. Infectious disease workup, including blood cultures and fungal serum markers, were negative. A repeat chest CT, on day 17 of illness ( Figure 1, panel B) , revealed new and migratory ground-glass opacities in both lungs that were consistent with an organizing pneumonia (OP) pattern.

Patient was started on intravenous methylprednisolone at 1mg/kg/day, which resulted in improvement in oxygenation and resolution of fever. She was discharged in stable condition after seven days of corticosteroids.

Our case may present a rare clinical course of COVID-19. Given the radiological appearance of migratory lung infiltrates and rapid improvement with corticosteroids, we hypothesize that this is OP due to the associated hyper-inflammation phase commonly seen in the later stages of COVID-19. 3 Moreover, acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia, a subtype of organizing pneumonia is described in COVID-19; which could be the case in our patient, although it cannot be confirmed without a tissue biopsy. 4 Although we conjecture that this is likely the explanation in our case, other plausible mechanisms of OP in our patient are a) an immune activation-like phenomenon following cessation of ibrutinib or b) augmentation of immune response by convalescent plasma. 5 Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are involved in toll-like receptormediated signaling and triggering of inflammatory cytokine and chemokine release. 6 John 5 Ibrutinib, a highly potent inhibitor of BTK, is considered to protect against lung injury in COVID-19. 6 Corticosteroids are not currently recommended in the management of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 unless there is a separate indication like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or in intubated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. 7 OP as a delayed presentation of COVID-19, should be considered for which corticosteroids have significant benefit. Moreover, given the increasing use of convalescent plasma, OP as a possible downstream consequence should be investigated.

Characteristics of and Important Lessons from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in China: Summary of a Report of 72314 Cases from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Cancer patients in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a nationwide analysis in China

Longitudinal CT Findings in COVID-19 Pneumonia: Case Presenting Organizing Pneumonia Pattern

John 6

Time to consider histologic pattern of lung injury to treat critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection

COVID-19 and Convalescent Plasma: Frequently Asked Questions

The BTK-inhibitor ibrutinib may protect against pulmonary injury in COVID-19 infected patients

Infectious Diseases Society of

America Guidelines on the Treatment and Management of Patients with COVID-19

Figure legend: Figure 1: Axial CT chest images on day 7 (day of admission, Panel A) and day 17 after symptom onset (Panel B), showing new and migratory lung infiltrates suggestive of organizing pneumonia


