Damaged lung gas exchange function of discharged COVID-19 patients detected by hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe MRI.

ABSTRACT: The recovery process of COVID-19 patients is unclear. Some recovered patients complain of continued shortness of breath. Vasculopathy has been reported in COVID-19, stressing the importance of probing pulmonary microstructure and function at the alveolar-capillary interface. While computed tomography (CT) detects structural abnormalities, little is known about the impact of disease on lung function. ¹²⁹Xe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique uniquely capable of assessing ventilation, microstructure, and gas exchange. Using ¹²⁹Xe MRI, we found that COVID-19 patients show a higher rate of ventilation defects (5.9% versus 3.7%), unchanged microstructure, and longer gas-blood exchange time (43.5 ms versus 32.5 ms) compared with healthy individuals. These findin

SUBMITTER: Li H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7775756 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature