Unspecific post-mortem findings despite multiorgan viral spread in COVID-19 patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Post-mortem studies can provide important information for understanding new diseases and small autopsy case series have already reported different findings in COVID-19 patients.

Methods

We evaluated whether some specific post-mortem features are observed in these patients and if these changes are related to the presence of the virus in different organs. Complete macroscopic and microscopic autopsies were performed on different organs in 17 COVID-19 non-survivors. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated with immunohistochemistry (IHC) in lung samples and with real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test in the lung and other organs.

Results

Pulmonary findings revealed early-stage diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) in 15 out of 17 patients

SUBMITTER: Remmelink M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7422463 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature