Intracerebral bleeding after janus-kinase inhibitor baricitinib for COVID-19

Finsterer, Josef; Scorza, Fulvio A.

OBJECTIVES: Intracerebral hemorhaghe/bleeding (ICH) after an infection with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) treated with the Janus-kinase inhibitor baricitinib has not been reported. Case presentation: a 86yo Caucasian female suddenly developed aphasia with a systolic blood pressure of 220 mmHg. Cerebral imaging revealed an ICH in the left temporal lobe without mass effect and no need for neurosurgical intervention. Her previous history was positive for arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart failure, renal insufficiency, hyperuricemia, macula degeneration, lumbalgia, and glaucoma bilaterally. Additionally, she had experienced an infection with SARS-CoV-2 with onset 44 days earlier having been treated with ceftriaxone (2g/d for 7d), dexamethasone (6mg for 6d), and bariticinib (2mg for 6d). CONCLUSIONS: Though ICH was time-linked to COVID-19, a causal relation could not be unequivocally established. Whether baricitinib increased the bleeding risk remains speculative. As long as causalities between ICH and baricitinib remain unproven, it should be given with caution and only under close blood pressure monitoring.