Abdominal pain in covid times: time to think twice

We report a case of abdominal pain followed by acute systolic heart failure due to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This multisystem disease typically appears several weeks after infection with COVID-19 in children and young adults. There is a wide spectrum of presentation with MIS-C: some present with features of shock, others with a condition that has overlapping characteristics with Kawasaki disease (KD), and others with more non-specific features. Very often the symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms. Our 17-year-old patient presented with fever, abdominal pain and inflammatory laboratory results. Rapidly after admission he developed acute heart failure with biopsy-confirmed myocarditis. The diagnostic criteria of MIS-C were met. This case emphasizes the changing diagnostic landscape. However rare, we want to raise awareness for MIS-C in children and young adults presenting with abdominal pain. Because of the risk of rapid clinical deterioration, early recognition and a multidisciplinary approach can be life-saving.

Keywords: COVID-19, PIMS, MIS-C, myocarditis.