Gross and histopathological pulmonary findings in a COVID-19 associated death during self-isolation
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abstract
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Forensic investigations generally contain extensive morphological
examinations to accurately diagnose the cause of death. Thus, the
appearance of a new disease often creates emerging challenges in
morphological examinations due to the lack of available data from
autopsy- or biopsy-based research. Since late December 2019, an
outbreak of a novel seventh coronavirus disease has been reported in
China caused by "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
2" (SARS-CoV-2). On March 11, 2020, the new clinical condition
COVID-19 (Corona-Virus-Disease-19) was declared a pandemic by the
World Health Organization (WHO). Patients with COVID-19 mainly have
a mild disease course, but severe disease onset might result in
death due to proceeded lung injury with massive alveolar damage and
progressive respiratory failure. However, the detailed mechanisms
that cause organ injury still remain unclear. We investigated the
morphological findings of a COVID-19 patient who died during
self-isolation. Pathologic examination revealed massive bilateral
alveolar damage, indicating early-phase "acute respiratory
distress syndrome" (ARDS). This case emphasizes the possibility
of a rapid severe disease onset in previously mild clinical
condition and highlights the necessity of a complete autopsy to gain
a better understanding of the pathophysiological changes in
SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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citation
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Suess C, Hausmann R. Gross and histopathological pulmonary findings
in a COVID-19 associated death during self-isolation. Int J Legal
Med 2020; 134:1285-1290.
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type
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journal paper/review (English)
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date of publishing
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05-06-2020
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journal title
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Int J Legal Med (134/4)
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ISSN electronic
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1437-1596
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pages
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1285-1290
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PubMed
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32504146
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DOI
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10.1007/s00414-020-02319-8
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