Atypical Manifestations of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Children: A Review.

Î’enou, Sofia; Ladhani, Shamez; Dimitriou, Gabriel; Gkentzi, Despoina

BACKGROUND In December 2019, a local outbreak of pneumonia presented in Wuhan (China), and quickly identified to be caused by a novel coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 was named COVID-19 and was soon declared as pandemic because of the millions of infections and thousands of deaths worldwide. Children infected with SARS-CoV-2 usually develop asymptomatic or mild disease compared to adults. They are also more likely to have atypical and non-specific clinical manifestations than adults. METHODS A literature search was performed in PubMed and Scopus to summarize the extrapulmonary manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children since the beginning of the pandemic. Peer-reviewed papers in English were retrieved using the following keywords and combinations: 'pediatric', 'child', 'infant', 'neonate', 'novel coronavirus', 'SARS-CoV-2', 'COVID 19' and 'gastrointestinal', 'renal', 'cardiac', 'dermatologic' or 'ophthalmologic'. We included published case series and case reports providing clinical symptoms and signs in SARS-CoV2 pediatric patients. RESULTS Although fever and symptoms of upper respiratory infection are the most frequently presented, a variety of other atypical presentations has also been reported. The clinical spectrum includes dermatological, ophthalmological, neurological, cardiovascular, renal, reproductive, and gastrointestinal presentations. In addition, a rare multi-inflammatory syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection has been reported in children, often leading to shock requiring inotropic support and mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians need to be aware of the wider range of extrapulmonary atypical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children, so that appropriate testing, treatment, and public health measures can be implemented rapidly.