Histopathological Examination of Lung Necropsy of 11 Patients Who Died Due to COVID-19: A Case Series.

COVID-19 is known to present with acute respiratory distress syndrome pathological manifestations. Studies have shown that patients with COVID-19 can develop diffuse alveolar damage, acute bronchopneumonia, necrotic bronchiolitis, and viral pneumonia. In this study, we investigated 11 cases. Needle necropsies of 11 patients, hospitalized at Tohid and Kowsar hospitals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, with a positive antemortem SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) real-time PCR test, were fixated within 3 hours after death in the negative-pressure isolation morgue. The participants included six men (54%) and five women (46%) with a mean age of 73.82±10.58 (52-86) years old. The average hospitalization was 14.27±15.72 days. The results showed interstitial lymphocytic pneumonitis in most of the cases, varied from mild to moderate and up to severe in some cases. In 7 cases, anthracosis was noted, while one case demonstrated anthracosis with fibrosis. The hyaline membrane was reported in two patients. In one case, severe interstitial lymphocytic pneumonia with intra-alveolar exudate with organization, lithiasis, bronchiolitis pattern (BOOP), intra-alveolar hemorrhage, and mild fibrosis were seen. As a result, it is suggested to keep an eye on these pathologies in management of the severe cases of COVID-19 infection.

Effect of Diet on Physiologic Bowel 18F-FDG Uptake.

Intestinal 18F-FDG uptake is variable in whole-body PET/CT. In cancer patients, particularly those suspected of relapse or metastasis, 18F-FDG absorption might interfere with scan interpretation. This study evaluated the effect of diet on intestinal 18F-FDG absorption. Methods: In total, 214 patients referring for oncologic 18F-FDG PET/CT participated. They were randomly divided into 2 groups and asked to follow either a routine diet (RD) or a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (LCHFD) for 24 h before the study. The small bowel and different parts of the colon (the cecum; the ascending, transverse, and descending segments; and the hepatic and splenic flexures) were evaluated and visually interpreted by nuclear medicine experts. Bowel uptake was graded through comparison with that in the liver as absent, mild, moderate, or severe. Results: Significantly higher 18F-FDG uptake in the descending colon (P = 0.001) and small intestine (P = 0.01) was observed in the RD group than in the LCHFD group. After patients with bowel cancer were omitted from the statistical analysis, no significant differences in the final results were seen. Conclusion: An LCHFD for 24 h before 18F-FDG PET imaging resulted in lower 18F-FDG uptake in the descending colon and small bowel than did an RD, assisting the interpreting physician by reducing the intestinal activity interference for more accurate diagnostic interpretation.