RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Persistent hiccups, lasting more than 48 h, have been described as an atypical presentation of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) in the general population. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of persistent hiccups and non-ST elevation myocardial injury (NSTEMI) as an atypical presentation of COVID-19 in a peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient. CASE SUMMARY: A 70-year old man, who had been on PD for 3 years with a history of ischemic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, presented for a scheduled radionuclide myocardial scan. Upon arrival, he complained of anorexia, nausea for 5 d, and unremitting hiccups for the previous 48 h. Clinical and laboratory examinations revealed an NSTEMI plus a positive nasopharyngeal reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. COVID-19 lung involvement was mild and was resolved without specific treatment. Myocardial injury was managed by coronary catheterization and stenting, while hiccups responded only to baclofen per os. CONCLUSION: Persistent hiccups and NSTEMI can be atypical presentations of COVID-19 in peritoneal dialysis patients, which may be due to involvement of the central nervous system and myocardial injuries.
RESUMEN
It is important that a cardiologist knows and recognizes the entity of takotsubo cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning, but remains aware that a subsequent similar episode is not necessarily a recurrence of this syndrome. Relapse may be caused by "classical" coronary atherosclerosis, as described in this case report.