Pulmonary embolism in a patient with eltrombopag-treated aplastic anaemia and paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria clone during COVID-19 pneumonia

Abstract

Thrombosis in patients with thrombocytopenia has several risk factors, both disease-related and treatment-associated. Recently, COVID-19 infection was recognized as an additional risk factor, further complicating the delicate balance between thrombosis and bleeding in these patients. Here we describe the case of a patient with aplastic anaemia on eltrombopag who developed pulmonary embolism during COVID-19 pneumonia, despite receiving oral anticoagulation with edoxaban. Notably, he was also carrying a large paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria clone, although without evidence of haemolysis. The presented case recapitulates some of the open questions in thrombotic risk management of cytopenic patients, such as the management of thrombopoietin receptor agonists and the choice of anticoagulation in PNH, while also accounting for the additional thrombotic risk linked to COVID-19.