Pathomorphological changes in some organs and tissues of COVID-19 convalescent patients

ABSTRACT

New coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is highly contagious viral disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 leading to the pandemic. The autopsy of COVID-19 patients often showed features of previous brain diseases including neurodegeneration, previous strokes, demyelinating diseases and atherosclerosis. Patients with acute cerebrovascular accidents and severe COVID-19 had higher numbers of lethality in comparison to non-severe course of infection without cerebrovascular accidents. A comparative analysis of morphological changes in lungs of deceased patients who died in different periods of first clinical symptoms is to be conducted. Objective. Description of pathomorphological changes in deceased patients during the period of reconvalescence. Patients and methods. The analysis of 15 fatal cases which took place in Botkin Hospital with the diagnosis of ischemic stroke and new coronavirus infection in the previous 2-4 months has been held. Macro and microscope examination of brain, lungs, brachiocephalic arteries, kidneys and liver has been carried out. Results. All patients had morphological features of ischemic damage of grey matter in the brain. Beside necrosis of neurocytes with diffuse infiltration in the grey matter, hematoxylin cycles were found, in some cases they were placed in a perivascular way in choroid plexus. Also 5 patients suffered a myocardial infarction up to 3 days. 10 patients had structures disorganisation in areas of lung parenchyma with hystoacrchitectonic changes because of the fibrosis. Alveoli in some places collaborated mostly with single airway clearance. The fact that most patients had lung hemosiderosis can prove coronavirus infection suffered earlier with microcirculatory bed damage. Conclusion. Thus, morphological changes seen in the period of reconvalescence of COVID-19 is a result of pathomorphosis of changes described earlier for acute period of coronavirus infection and affect not only lungs, but also other organs and tissues. This proves systematic characteristic of the infection.