Several cases of arterial thrombosis of the limbs revealing asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic COVID-19 infection

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has been in progress for more than a year, has consistently demonstrated its multi-systemic nature, with its varied effects affecting all the body's systems [1]. The cardiovascular system is far from being an exception and the main cardiovascular events reported, associated with COVID-19, concern venous thromboembolic diseases (VTED) [2, 3]. While VTED can quickly become life-threatening, arterial thrombosis of the limbs is just as urgent and deleterious because of the risk of compromising the functional prognosis, which can lead to amputation [2, 3]. Indeed, COVID-19 infection leads to blood hypercoagulability, which causes arterial and venous thrombosis at the peripheral (upper and lower limbs) and central (cerebral, pulmonary, coronary...) levels [4]. This high risk of thrombosis is now known in patients diagnosed with COVID-19, who are receiving anticoagulant treatment combined with other preventive measures to limit thromboembolic events.