Skin and gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID-19

Piotr Ciechanowicz; Konrad Lewandowski; Elżbieta Szymańska; Magdalena Kaniewska; Grażyna Rydzewska; Irena Walecka

doi:10.5114/pg.2020.101558

eISSN: 1897-4317
ISSN: 1895-5770

Gastroenterology Review/Przegląd Gastroenterologiczny

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4/2020
vol. 15

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abstract:

Original paper

Skin and gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID-19

Piotr Ciechanowicz

¹

,

Konrad Lewandowski

²

,

Elżbieta Szymańska

¹

,

Magdalena Kaniewska

²

,

Grażyna Rydzewska

²

,

Irena Walecka

¹

Dermatology Department, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education/Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland
Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland

Gastroenterology Rev 2020; 15 (4): 301–308

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/pg.2020.101558

Online publish date: 2020/12/10

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Introduction
The first cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were noted in December 2019 in Wuhan province, China. The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced the pandemic status on March 11, 2020. The manifestations of the disease are as follows: fever, cough, fatigue, anosmia and ageusia, dyspnoea, chest pain, muscle soreness, chills, sore throat, rhinitis, headache, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, and dermal lesions.

Aim
To evaluate the relationship between dermal lesions and GI symptoms in a group of COVID-19 patients.

Material and methods
A group of 441 COVID-19 patients admitted to the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Warsaw between March 15th and June 15th, 2020.

Results
Of 441 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, 255 (58.5%) experienced gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms: lack of appetite was reported in 124 (48.6%) cases, diarrhoea was noted in 109 (42.7%), abdominal pain in 95 (37.3%), vomiting in 37 (14.5%), and nausea in 32 (12.5%) cases. Eight (1.81%) patients had dermal lesions: erythematous macular lesions (2 patients – 25%), erythematous infiltrated lesions (2; 25%), erythematous infiltrated and exfoliative lesions (3; 37.5%), erythematous papular lesions (3; 37.5%), and erythematous oedematous lesions (2; 25%). All of those patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms during the hospitalisation.

Conclusions
The following study analyses possible causes of dermal lesions and their coexistence with GI symptoms. Several possible theories were taken into account, including the microbiota alterations and issue of drug-related complications.

keywords:

Skin and gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID-19

Piotr Ciechanowicz 1 , Konrad Lewandowski 2 , Elżbieta Szymańska 1 , Magdalena Kaniewska 2 , Grażyna Rydzewska 2 , Irena Walecka 1

SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, skin lesions, gastrointestinal symptoms

Piotr Ciechanowicz

¹

,

Konrad Lewandowski

²

,

Elżbieta Szymańska

¹

,

Magdalena Kaniewska

²

,

Grażyna Rydzewska

²

,

Irena Walecka

¹