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de Almeida Monteiro RA, Duarte-Neto AN, Ferraz da Silva LF, de Oliveira EP, do Nascimento ECT, Mauad T, Saldiva PHDN, Dolhnikoff M. Ultrasound assessment of pulmonary fibroproliferative changes in severe COVID-19: a quantitative correlation study with histopathological findings. Intensive Care Med 2021; 47:199-207. [PMID: 33392642 PMCID: PMC7779089 DOI: 10.1007/s00134-020-06328-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of lung ultrasound (LUS) imaging to characterize the progression and severity of lung damage in cases of COVID-19. METHODS We employed a set of combined ultrasound parameters and histopathological images obtained simultaneously in 28 patients (15 women, 0.6-83 years) with fatal COVID-19 submitted to minimally invasive autopsies, with different times of disease evolution from initial symptoms to death (3-37 days, median 18 days). For each patient, we analysed eight post-mortem LUS parameters and the proportion of three histological patterns (normal lung, exudative diffuse alveolar damage [DAD] and fibroproliferative DAD) in eight different lung regions. The relationship between histopathological and post-mortem ultrasonographic findings was assessed using various statistical approaches. RESULTS Statistically significant positive correlations were observed between fibroproliferative DAD and peripheral consolidation (coefficient 0.43, p = 0.02) and pulmonary consolidation (coefficient 0.51, p = 0.005). A model combining age, time of evolution, sex and ultrasound score predicted reasonably well (r = 0.66) the proportion of pulmonary parenchyma with fibroproliferative DAD. CONCLUSION The present study adds information to previous studies related to the use of LUS as a tool to assess the severity of acute pulmonary damage. We provide a histological background that supports the concept that LUS can be used to characterize the progression and severity of lung damage in severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Aparecida de Almeida Monteiro
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, sala 1155, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Amaro Nunes Duarte-Neto
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, sala 1155, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Luiz Fernando Ferraz da Silva
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, sala 1155, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
- Serviço de Verificação de Óbitos da Capital, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ellen Pierre de Oliveira
- Departamento de Cardiopneumologia, Instituto do Coração, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ellen Caroline Toledo do Nascimento
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, sala 1155, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Thais Mauad
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, sala 1155, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Paulo Hilário do Nascimento Saldiva
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, sala 1155, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Marisa Dolhnikoff
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, sala 1155, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil.
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