Vexas Syndrome Presenting As Long Covid-19


YILDIRIM D., İNAN M. A., AKYÜREK N., TUFAN A.

AKTUELLE RHEUMATOLOGIE, vol.48, no.03, pp.212-215, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 48 Issue: 03
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.1055/a-1887-5341
  • Journal Name: AKTUELLE RHEUMATOLOGIE
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, EMBASE
  • Page Numbers: pp.212-215
  • Keywords: COVID19, misdiagnosis, VEXAS syndrome
  • Gazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Objective VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome is a recently described systemic inflammatory syndrome caused by somatic mutations of UBA1. COVID-19 is a viral infection that was described in 2019 and spread widely and quickly all around the world. Constitutional, thrombotic and pulmonary symptoms of these two conditions are similar, which is why cases of VEXAS syndrome may be misdiagnosed as a COVID infection. Case report We introduced a case report of a 72-year-old male patient with VEXAS syndrome who had fever, fatigue, deep vein thrombosis and a cough and was thought to have a long COVID-19 infection for one year. Then we diagnosed him with VEXAS syndrome with vacuoles in myelomonocytic cells, skin lesions and a mutation of the UBA-1 gene. Conclusion VEXAS and long COVID are two new conditions with overlapping clinical presentations. Physicians must be aware of these clinical conditions because of their different treatment strategy and prognosis.