Your browser doesn't support javascript.
Cerebral vasculitis of medium-sized vessels as a possible mechanism of brain damage in COVID-19 patients.
Lersy, François; Anheim, Mathieu; Willaume, Thibault; Chammas, Agathe; Brisset, Jean-Christophe; Cotton, François; Kremer, Stéphane.
  • Lersy F; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Service d'imagerie 2, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France.
  • Anheim M; Service de Neurologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM-U964/CNRS-UMR7104/Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.
  • Willaume T; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Service d'imagerie 2, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France.
  • Chammas A; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Service d'imagerie 2, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France.
  • Brisset JC; Observatoire Français de la Sclérose en Plaques, Lyon, France.
  • Cotton F; MRI center, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 1, CREATIS-LRMN, CNRS/UMR/5220-INSERM U630, Villeurbanne, France.
  • Kremer S; Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Service d'imagerie 2, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France; Engineering science, computer science and imaging laboratory (ICube), Integrative Multimodal Imaging in Healthcare, UMR 7357, University of Strasbourg-CNRS, Strasbourg, France. Electronic address
J Neuroradiol ; 48(3): 141-146, 2021 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-978379
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND

PURPOSE:

Cerebral complications related to COVID-19 were recently reported, and the underlying mechanisms of brain damage remain uncertain, probably multifactorial. Among various hypotheses suggested, a possible vasculitis was issued but never confirmed. Herein, we aimed to describe brain MRIs focused on the intracranial vessel wall in a population of COVID-19 patients with neurologic manifestations. MATERIALS AND

METHODS:

Between March 1 and May 31, 2020, 69 consecutive COVID-19 patients with neurologic manifestations underwent a brain MRI allowing the study of the intracranial vessel wall at Strasbourg University hospitals and were retrospectively included. During the same period, 25 consecutive patients, without suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection, underwent a brain MRI urgently, with the same imaging protocols. A vasculitis seemed likely when imaging demonstrated vessel wall thickening with homogeneous and concentric enhancement.

RESULTS:

Among the 69 COVID-19 patients included, 11 (16%) presented arterial vessel wall thickening with homogeneous and concentric enhancement, compatible with cerebral vasculitis. These neuroimaging findings were not found among the 25 patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.03). Middle cerebral arteries, basilar artery, and posterior cerebral arteries were the most frequent vessels involved. For nine of them, imaging demonstrated ischemic or hemorrhagic complications.

CONCLUSION:

Cerebral vasculitis of medium-sized vessels seems to be one of the mechanisms at the origin of brain damage related to COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Keywords

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Brain / Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study Topics: Long Covid Limits: Adult / Aged / Female / Humans / Male / Middle aged / Young adult Language: English Journal: J Neuroradiol Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: J.neurad.2020.11.004

Similar

MEDLINE

...
LILACS

LIS


Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Brain / Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study Topics: Long Covid Limits: Adult / Aged / Female / Humans / Male / Middle aged / Young adult Language: English Journal: J Neuroradiol Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: J.neurad.2020.11.004