Histopathological findings and viral tropism in UK patients with severe fatal COVID-19: a post-mortem study

August 20, 2020

Hanley B, Naresh KN, Roufosse C, et al.

The Lancet Microbe

This study aimed to understand the major pathological findings in post-mortem examinations on patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The study included patients who were older than 18 years with COVID-19 listed as the direct cause of death. Post-mortem examinations were completed on nine patients and one additional patient underwent percutaneous biopsy sampling with interpretations completed by subspecialty autopsy pathologists. Findings show thrombotic features in at least one major organ and the lung finding most consistent was diffuse alveolar damage (DAD). Furthermore, CD8 positive T cell lymphocyte depletion was noted in haematological organs and haemophagocytosis. Acute tubular injury was identified in all nine patients. Overall, the major pathological findings included DAD, thrombosis, haemophagocytosis, and immune cell depletion. There were some unexpected pathologies identified that may have been related to COVID-19 infection, which included pancreatitis, pericarditis, adrenal micro- infarction, secondary disseminated mucormycosis, and brain microglial activation, however, future studies must better understand their relation between these pathologies and COVID-19.

Hanley B, Naresh KN, Roufosse C, et al. Articles Histopathological findings and viral tropism in UK patients with severe fatal COVID-19 : a post-mortem study. The Lancet Microbe 2020; 5247. DOI:10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30115-4.

Partners