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Review
. 2020 Nov;105(5):540-546.
doi: 10.1111/ejh.13491. Epub 2020 Aug 31.

Haematological manifestations of COVID-19: From cytopenia to coagulopathy

Charles Agbuduwe  1 , Supratik Basu  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Haematological manifestations of COVID-19: From cytopenia to coagulopathy

Charles Agbuduwe et al. Eur J Haematol. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Emerging data from the management of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggests multi-systemic involvement, including the hemopoietic system. The haematological manifestations of COVID-19 include blood count anomalies notably lymphopenia and neutrophilia which are of prognostic significance. Hyperferritinemia and elevated lactate dehydrogenase have also been associated with increased mortality. Furthermore, there is considerable evidence of a distinct coagulopathy associated with COVID-19 characterised by elevated D-dimers and an increased risk of thrombotic events. This comprehensive review summarises the latest evidence from published studies and discusses the implications of the various haematological manifestations of COVID-19 with a view to guiding clinical management and risk stratification in this rapidly evolving pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; D-dimer; SARS-CoV-2; blood count; coagulopathy; cytokine storm; lymphopenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interests in relation to this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Bone marrow smear showing hemophagocytosis in a 29‐year‐old male patient with severe COVID‐19 and serologic features consistent with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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