Case series/case reports
In this case series study, recently published in Lancet, the authors aimed to provide a clinicopathological report of severe COVID-19 cases by documenting histopathological changes and evidence of SARS-CoV-2 tissue tropism.
Post-mortem examinations were performed on 14 people who died with COVID-19 at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (Seattle, WA, USA) and Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office (Everett, WA, USA) during February and March, 2020. The median age of the cohort was 73·5 years (range 42–84; IQR 67·5–77·25). All patients had clinically significant comorbidities, the most common being hypertension, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnoea, and metabolic disease including diabetes and obesity. The major pulmonary finding was diffuse alveolar damage in the acute or organising phases, with five patients showing focal pulmonary microthrombi. Coronavirus-like particles were detected in the respiratory system, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract. Lymphocytic myocarditis was observed in one patient with viral RNA detected in the tissue. The primary pathology observed in this cohort was diffuse alveolar damage, with virus located in the pneumocytes and tracheal epithelium. Microthrombi, where observed, were scarce and endothelitis was not identified. The authors concluded that, although other non-pulmonary organs showed susceptibility to infection, their contribution to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection requires further examination.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31305-2/fulltext
