Liver histopathology in severe COVID 19 respiratory failure is suggestive of vascular alterations.

ABSTRACT: SARS2-CoV-2 breakout in Italy caused a huge number of severely ill patients with a serious increase in mortality. Although lungs seem to be the main target of the infection, very few information are available about liver involvement, possibly evocating a systemic disease. Post-mortem wedge liver biopsies from 48 patients died from severe pulmonary COVID-19 disease with respiratory failure were collected from two main hospitals in northern Italy. No patient had clinical symptoms of liver disease or signs of liver failure before and during hospitalization; for each of them liver function tests were available. All liver samples showed minimal inflammation features. Histological pictures compatible with vascular alterations were observed, characterized by increase in number of portal vein bran

SUBMITTER: Sonzogni A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7404964 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature