New-onset functional dyspepsia after COVID-19

Abstract

Rationale: Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may have gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain and burning. However, these symptoms may be due to functional dyspepsia (FD), a heterogeneous disorder with some documented cases being due to postinfectious sequela. Patient Concerns: We report a case of a 57-year-old female with well-controlled celiac disease and vitamin D deficiency who developed early satiety, abdominal pain, stomach fullness, postprandial burning, and weight loss after testing positive for coronavirus disease 2019. Diagnoses: Her symptoms started improving with medical treatment of FD. The timeline of symptom onset, persistence, and eventual improvement suggests she had postinfectious FD as a likely sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Interventions: She failed to improve with antiemetic and anti-reflux medications, and work-up revealed no endoscopic evidence of her dyspepsia. Outcomes: Her symptoms started improving with medical treatment of FD. Lessons: This case report highlights the importance of suspecting coronavirus disease 2019 as the etiology in patients who develop dyspepsia but have no endoscopic abnormalities.