Turkish Journal of Pathology

Türk Patoloji Dergisi

Turkish Journal of Pathology

Turkish Journal of Pathology

E-pub Ahead Of Print     (Pages: I-VII)

Pre-Mortem Histopathologic Evidence of Endothelial Injury and Thrombotic Microangiopathy in an Infant With SARS-CoV-2–Associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C)

Meral UNER 1, Fariba AMINI 1, Sefika KARABULUT 2, Diclehan ORHAN 4

1 Department of Pathology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, ANKARA, TÜRKİYE
2 Bionix Laboratory, ANKARA, TÜRKİYE
3 Department of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Gülhane Institute of Health Sciences, ANKARA, TÜRKİYE
4 Pediatric and Perinatal Pathology Unit, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, ANKARA, TÜRKİYE

DOI: 10.5146/tjpath.2026.15124
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Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) represents a severe postinfectious hyperinflammatory condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite extensive clinical characterization, histopathologic data—especially from pre-mortem pediatric biopsies—remain scarce.

We report a 9-month-old male infant with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and rapid multiorgan failure. Pre-mortem incisional biopsies from the myocardium, lung, and pleura revealed degenerative myocyte changes, endothelial swelling, and fibrin-platelet microthrombi consistent with thrombotic microangiopathy. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated mild CD3+ T-cell–predominant infiltrates and focal SARS-CoV-2 antigen positivity confined to alveolar and bronchiolar epithelium, while myocardial and pleural tissues were negative.

These findings highlight early morphologic correlates of immune-mediated vascular injury in MIS-C, characterized by endothelial dysfunction, microvascular inflammation, and T-cell-driven immunopathology in the absence of direct viral cytopathy. This case provides rare pre-mortem evidence of immune-thrombotic endotheliopathy in an infant, bridging clinical and histologic manifestations of pediatric SARS-CoV-2–associated hyperinflammatory disease.

Keywords : Covid19, SARS-CoV2, MIS-C, Thrombotic microangiopathy, Infant