tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Am J Forensic Med Pathol
. 2021 Jan 15.
doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000644. Online ahead of print.
Clinicopathologic Features of COVID-19: A Case Report and Value of Forensic Autopsy in Studying SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Liang Ren[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qian Liu, Rongshuai Wang, Rong Chen, Qilin Ao, Xi Wang, Jie Zhang, Fei Deng, Yan Feng, Guoping Wang, Yiwu Zhou, Ling Li, Liang Liu
Affiliations
Abstract
As of August 23, 2020, the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected more than 23,518,340 people and caused more than 810,492 deaths worldwide including 4,717 deaths in China. We present a case of a 53-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital because of dry coughs and high fever on January 26, 2020, in Wuhan, China. She was not tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA until on hospital day 11 (illness day 21) because of a significant shortage of test kits at the local hospital. Then, her test was positive for COVID-19 on hospital day 20. Despite intensive medical treatments, she developed respiratory failure with secondary bacterial infection and expired on hospital day 23 (3 days after she was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA). A systemic autopsy examination, including immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural studies, demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 can infect multiple organs with profound adverse effect on the immune system, and the lung pathology is characterized by diffuse alveolar damage. Extrapulmonary SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in several organs postmortem. The detailed pathological features are described. In addition, this report highlights the value of forensic autopsy in studying SARS-CoV-2 infection and the importance of clinicopathological correlation in better understanding the pathogenesis of COVID-19.
. 2021 Jan 15.
doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000644. Online ahead of print.
Clinicopathologic Features of COVID-19: A Case Report and Value of Forensic Autopsy in Studying SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Liang Ren[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qian Liu, Rongshuai Wang, Rong Chen, Qilin Ao, Xi Wang, Jie Zhang, Fei Deng, Yan Feng, Guoping Wang, Yiwu Zhou, Ling Li, Liang Liu
Affiliations
- PMID: 33464756
- DOI: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000644
Abstract
As of August 23, 2020, the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected more than 23,518,340 people and caused more than 810,492 deaths worldwide including 4,717 deaths in China. We present a case of a 53-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital because of dry coughs and high fever on January 26, 2020, in Wuhan, China. She was not tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA until on hospital day 11 (illness day 21) because of a significant shortage of test kits at the local hospital. Then, her test was positive for COVID-19 on hospital day 20. Despite intensive medical treatments, she developed respiratory failure with secondary bacterial infection and expired on hospital day 23 (3 days after she was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA). A systemic autopsy examination, including immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural studies, demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 can infect multiple organs with profound adverse effect on the immune system, and the lung pathology is characterized by diffuse alveolar damage. Extrapulmonary SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in several organs postmortem. The detailed pathological features are described. In addition, this report highlights the value of forensic autopsy in studying SARS-CoV-2 infection and the importance of clinicopathological correlation in better understanding the pathogenesis of COVID-19.