Forensic Doctors Find That Mysterious Deaths Were Actually Caused by COVID-19 Induced Acute Mesenteric Ischemia
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jun 08, 2025 1 week, 3 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes ago
Medical News:
Silent Killer in the Gut: The Overlooked Danger of COVID-19
In a startling revelation, forensic pathologists in Australia have discovered that two mysterious deaths initially thought to be unrelated to COVID-19 were in fact caused by a rare and lethal gastrointestinal complication triggered by the virus—acute mesenteric ischemia. This condition, which involves reduced blood flow to the intestines leading to tissue death, is now being recognized as another deadly manifestation of COVID-19 that has largely gone unnoticed in clinical and public discourse.
Thailand
Medical News had previously warned that COVID-19 can cause lethal gastrointestinal ischemia and also cause dangerous ruptures in the gastrointestinal tract.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-s-surprising-link-to-acute-colon-ischemia
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/many-exposed-to-covid-19-will-develop-acute-ischemic-colitis
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-covid-19-news-case-study-shows-that-even-asymptomatic-sars-cov-2-infections-can-lead-to-spontaneous-bowel-perforations
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/warning-sars-cov-2-infections-causes-intestinal-ischemia-increases-disease-severity-and-risk-of-mortality
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-study-shows-that-covid-19-can-cause-intestinal-ischemia-and-gastrointestinal-issues-in-asymptomatic-individuals-who-continue-to-test-negative
Researchers from Forensic Science SA in Adelaide, Australia, presented two tragic cases involving elderly women who died from what was initially assumed to be unexplained abdominal complications. However, upon autopsy and further analysis, doctors found telltale signs of intestinal damage and microscopic blood clots, eventually linking the cause of death to COVID-19-induced vascular injury. This
Medical News report sheds light on these cases and the broader implications for recognizing gastrointestinal symptoms as possible fatal outcomes of the virus.
Uncovering the Hidden Pathology of COVID-19
In the first case, a 74-year-old woman presented with severe diarrhea and abdominal pain. Despite having no significant vascular blockages, aut
opsy results revealed extensive ischemic damage to both her small and large intestines.
Microscopic examination showed inflammation, necrosis (tissue death), intramucosal bleeding, and numerous fibrin clots—tiny blockages formed within blood vessels. Post-mortem nasal swabs confirmed a positive SARS-CoV-2 infection. Her death was attributed to multi-organ failure resulting from acute mesenteric ischemia caused by COVID-19.
The second case involved a 94-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and later developed severe abdominal pain along with rectal bleeding and black stools (melaena). Autopsy findings showed a similar pattern—acute inflammation in the small intestine with multiple microvascular fibrin clots. She too succumbed to multi-organ failure brought on by intestinal ischemia related to the virus.
Microscopic Blood Clots: A Common Denominator in COVID-19 Deaths
One of the most critical findings from both cases was the absence of traditional large blood vessel blockages that typically cause mesenteric ischemia. Instead, the condition was driven by microvascular fibrin thrombi—tiny clots formed in smaller vessels, which have become increasingly recognized in COVID-19 as part of its pro-thrombotic (clot-forming) nature. The researchers urge medical professionals and forensic teams to consider COVID-19 as a potential cause in cases of intestinal ischemia, especially when no obvious vascular blockage is seen.
Careful histological sampling of the intestines and mesentery, along with post-mortem COVID-19 testing, can be critical in diagnosing these hidden complications. This is especially relevant as more elderly patients may experience gastrointestinal symptoms, which are often dismissed as secondary or unrelated to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
A Wake-Up Call for Doctors and Families
The study underscores the need for greater awareness that COVID-19 is not just a respiratory illness. Its ability to affect the vascular system—particularly through the formation of microthrombi—can result in fatal conditions even when respiratory symptoms are absent or minimal. With elderly individuals being particularly vulnerable, families and clinicians should remain alert to gastrointestinal signs like unexplained abdominal pain, diarrhea, or bleeding.
The findings strongly suggest that COVID-19-associated acute mesenteric ischemia may be more common than currently recognized. The conclusion is clear: when patients, especially the elderly, present with severe gut symptoms, COVID-19 testing and microvascular investigation should be prioritized—even in the absence of classic COVID-19 signs.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: Medicine, Science and the Law (SAGE Journals).
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00258024251348724
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