Case report: Mechanical mitral prosthetic valve thrombosis in the context of COVID-19 despite effective anticoagulation

The SARS-CoV2 virus has been an emerging virus since December 2019 and is the cause of a global pandemic whose clinical manifestations extend far beyond respiratory disease.

A patient with severe coronavirus disease 2019 respiratory infection, carrying a mechanical mitral valve and under anticoagulation, was admitted to our cardiology department because of a new atrial fibrillation, which turned out to be related to thrombosis of the mitral mechanical valve.

The pro-coagulant effect of the SARS-CoV2 virus does not spare patients at risk of thrombosis, even under effective anticoagulation. In patients with mechanical valves under vitamin K antagonist treatment, there is a high risk of thrombus formation. The treatment is based on thrombolysis by therapeutic anticoagulation, fibrinolysis, or surgery depending on the size, composition of thrombus, and clinical manifestation.