SARS-CoV-2 associated liver injury: a six-month follow-up analysis of liver function recovery.

Background and aims: SARS-CoV-2 infection has raised the interest in clinical and paraclinical research worldwide, representing a public health issue since the beginning of 2020. Studies have established the variable, unpredictable character of COVID-19. Our main objective was to assess the liver function of patients without pre-existing liver disease, diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 associated liver injury in a 6-month follow-up study after discharge from hospital. Methods: We conducted a prospective paraclinical and imagingstic follow-up study between 1st September 2020 and 30th April 2021 on patients without pre-existing liver disease previously diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 associated liver injury who had been admitted in Mures County Clinical Hospital, Targu Mures, Romania. We followed up the patients 'clinical and paraclinical datacharacteristics at index COVID-19 hospitalization and at T1 (6-month follow-up visit). Results: We performed abdominal ultrasonography and laboratory examinations in 78 patients (mean age 45±10 years) hospitalized 6 months earlier for symptomatic COVID-19, with a male:female ratio of 1.3:1.Thirty patients (38.46%) were discharged at index COVID-19 hospitalization with abnormal liver function tests, while the rest presented paraclinical normalization at discharge and mean duration of liver injury of approximately 7 days. Follow-up examination revealed abnormal liver function tests in twenty-four patients, most of which presented with mild liver injury. All patients with severe COVID-19 at index hospitalization presented with abnormal liver function tests at follow-up examination. Conclusions: By performing a complete clinical and paraclinical 6-month follow-up study, with a specific focus on 34.6% of patients in which we noted a persistence of liver function tests abnormality, we could analyzse a possible long-term effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection over liver function and also raise awareness of liver function tests monitoring and therapeutic management in post COVID-19 patients. Long-term follow-up studies of COVID-19 multi-organ sequelae are therefore mandatory in order to improve the practice of consultant gastroenterologists.

Severe enteroviral encephalitis complicated by encephalomalacia--case presentation.

Enteroviral encephalitis is a rare neuroinfection more often diagnosed in children within the context of enteroviral epidemic outbreaks. It has pleomorphic clinical features, variable severity and a definite potential to cause neuropsychological sequelae especially in infants. Some subtypes are extremely severe with a mortality rate of up to 25% by affecting the brain stem. These subtypes usually come with highly specific findings on neuroimaging. We present a paediatric case of diffuse encephalitis most likely enteroviral in nature, with some particular features concerning the severe clinical form, the neuroimaging aspects and the neuropsychological sequelae due to the rarely described evolution towards encephalomalacia.

Hybrid repair of a very late, post-aortic coarctation surgery thoracic aneurysm: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Local aneurysms after surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta occur mainly in patients surgically treated by Dacron patch plasty during adulthood. The management of these patients is always problematic, with frequent complications and increased mortality rates. Percutaneous stent-graft implantation avoids the need for surgical reintervention. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case involving the hybrid treatment by stent-graft implantation and transposition of the left subclavian artery to the left common carotid artery of an aneurysmal dilatation of the thoracic aorta that occurred in a 64-year-old Caucasian man, operated on almost 40 years earlier with a Dacron patch plasty for aortic coarctation. Our patient presented to our facility for evaluation with back pain and shortness of breath after minimal physical effort. A physical examination revealed stony dullness to percussion of the left posterior thorax, with no other abnormalities. The results of chest radiography, followed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography and aortography, led to a diagnosis of giant aortic thoracic aneurysm. Successful treatment of the aneurysm was achieved by percutaneous stent-graft implantation combined with transposition of the left subclavian artery to the left common carotid artery. His post-procedural recovery was uneventful. Three months after the procedure, computed tomography showed complete thrombosis of the excluded aneurysm, without any clinical signs of left lower limb ischemia or new onset neurological abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Our patient's case illustrates the clinical outcomes of surgical interventions for aortic coarctation. However, the very late appearance of a local aneurysm is rather unusual. Management of such cases is always difficult. The decision-making should be multidisciplinary. A hybrid approach was considered the best solution for our patient.