Multi-organ pathological findings associated with COVID-19 in postmortem needle core biopsies in four patients and a review of the current literature.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Histopathological findings are essential in understanding its pathogenesis and we present our findings from postmortem core needle biopsies in an attempt to share information that may shed some light on this severe pandemic. Different organ samples from four patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 at the Infanta Sofía Hospital (Madrid) were studied during the months of April and May, 2020 by six pathologists using routine stains, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Results were compared with other reported cases. All patients had a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia and biopsies revealed lung damage in the majority. Heart, liver, spleen and kidney were also studied and abnormalities were found in all cases and are extensively described. The histopathology of organs affected by COVID-19 is vital to the understanding of this disease and its sequelae.

Multi-organ pathological findings associated with COVID-19 in postmortem needle core biopsies in four patients and a review of the current literature / Hallazgos patológicos multiorgánicos asociados a COVID-19 a través de biopsias con aguja gruesa postmortem y revisión de la literatura actual

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Histopathological findings are essential in understanding its pathogenesis and we present our findings from postmortem core needle biopsies in an attempt to share information that may shed some light on this severe pandemic. Different organ samples from four patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 at the Infanta Sofía Hospital (Madrid) were studied during the months of April and May, 2020 by six pathologists using routine stains, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Results were compared with other reported cases. All patients had a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia and biopsies revealed lung damage in the majority. Heart, liver, spleen and kidney were also studied and abnormalities were found in all cases and are extensively described. The histopathology of organs affected by COVID-19 is vital to the understanding of this disease and its sequelae

La enfermedad de coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) ha afectado de forma mundial causando intensa morbimortalidad. Los hallazgos patológicos son claves para entender su patogénesis. A través de biopsias con aguja gruesa postmortem, intentamos responder a las incógnitas que giran en torno a la severidad de esta infección. Se enviaron muestras de cuatro pacientes COVID-19 positivos al servicio de Anatomía Patológica del Hospital Infanta Sofía (Madrid) en los meses de Abril y Mayo 2020. Se estudiaron a través de distintas técnicas y los resultados se compararon con la literatura, buscando similitudes y peculiaridades. Todos los pacientes tenían un diagnóstico de neumonía. Las biopsias mostraron daño pulmonar en la mayoría. El resto de los órganos estudiados fueron: corazón, hígado, bazo y riñón. Se encontraron características distintivas en muchos, las cuales fueron descritas exhaustivamente. En conclusión, el análisis microscópico de los órganos afectados por COVID-19 es importante para comprender ésta enfermedad y sus posibles consecuencias