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2023

ANUÁRIO DO HOSPITAL
DONA ESTEFÂNIA

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COVID-19 PNEUMONIA IN A CHILD. A SURPRISE FINDING

Margarida Almendra1, Tiago Silva1, Cláudia Constantino2, Maria João Brito1

1 - Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Central, EPE
2 - Paediatrics Department, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa

- Congresso internacional, poster, 13th Excellence in Pediatrics 2021

Resumo:
Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) tends to be milder in children, but severe cases have been reported. We described a case report of a toddler admitted to our department with additional findings, highlighting the importance of assessing the patient as a whole.
Case Presentation: A previously healthy, 15-month-year-old girl presented with fever and dry cough for 10 days, respiratory distress and PCR SARS-CoV-2 was positive. At admission, she presented with hypoxemia (SpO2 89-90% in room air), global retraction and bilateral bronchospasm. She was treated with bronchodilators, methylprednisolone, remdesivir and also amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Her complete blood count revealed leucocytosis 16,160x109/L, 41% lymphocytes, C-reactive protein 57,9 mg/L, procalcitonin 0,13 ng/mL, sedimentation rate 44 mm/h, ferritin 218,4 ng/mL. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan revealed bilateral peripheral areas of ground glass, coexisting consolidation areas at inferior lobes but also revealed a 6 cm supra-renal mass. Abdominal ultrasound and CT confirmed an heterogeneous right supra-renal gland mass of 5,5cm along the greatest diameter with diffuse calcifications, evolving the inferior vena cava and the renal vascular pedicle, no signs of liver, bone, cutaneous or ganglionic metastization. These features were suggestive of neuroblastoma in stage L2. Vanillylmandelic acid, normetanephrine/creatinine ratio and metanephrine/creatinine ratio were elevated. The metaiodobenzylguanidine (Mibg) scan showed a localized disease. The total excision of the tumour mass was performed and the histology confirmed neuroblastoma with no N-myc oncogene amplification, nor other bad prognosis chromosomal abnormalities. She is currently under oncological surveillance, with no signs of recurrence.
Learning Points Discussion: Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumour of childhood. It is known for their broad spectrum of clinical behaviour and outcome. In this case, although this toddler was admitted due to COVID-19 pneumonia, it allowed to identify a localized tumour, perform excision and due to the favourable biology tumour, she has a very good chances of being cured and free of disease.

Palavras-chave: COVID-19, neuroblastoma, pneumonia