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Table 2 Histopathology of COVID-19

From: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) – anatomic pathology perspective on current knowledge

Authors

PMID

Specimen type

No. of cases

Main findings

DAD

Thrombi

Xu et al. [38]

32,085,846

Post-mortem biopsies of lung, liver, and heart

1

DAD

Yes

None mentioned

Tian et al. [39]

32,114,094

Lobectomies

2

DADand mononuclear inflammatory cells

Yes (early DAD pattern in 1 of 2)

None mentioned

Barton et al. [40]

32,275,742

Complete autopsies

2

DAD and chronic airway inflammation

Yes (1 case)

Few (lung, case 1)

Karami et al. [41]

32,283,217

Autopsy of the lungs

1

Hyaline membranes and viral cytopathic effect

Yes (hyaline membrane noted)

None mentioned

Tian et al. [42]

32,291,399

Post-mortem biopsies of lung, liver, and heart

4

DAD

Yes

None mentioned

Magro et al. [43]

32,299,776

Limited autopsies (2) and skin biopsies (3)

5

“Hemorrhagic pneumonitis” (lung), and “thrombogenic vasculopathy” (skin)

Yes (hyaline membranes in 1 of 2 cases in which lungs were examined)

Yes (skin)

Barnes et al. [44]

32,302,401

Autopsies (brief mention)

3

“Neutrophil extracellular traps”

Not mentioned

None mentioned

Varga et al. [45]

32,325,026

Autopsies (2) and small intestine resection (1)

3

“Endothelitis”, DAD, and viral inclusions in the endothelial cells of kidney

Yes

“Only scattered fibrin thrombi”

Konopka et al. [46]

32,360,729

Autopsy

1

“Fibrinous pneumonia”

Yes

“Rare fibrin thrombi were also identified within small vessels and a small muscular pulmonary artery”

Menter et al. [27]

32,364,264

Autopsy

21

DAD (exudative in 16, proliferative in 8); Superimposed bronchopneumonia in 10/21

Yes

Pulmonary embolism in 4/21; microthrombi of alveolar capillaries in 5/11

Wichmann et al. [47]

32,374,815

Complete autopsies

12

DAD in 8/12; “focal bronchopneumonia” (no DAD) in 4/12

Yes

“Massive pulmonary embolism” (4/12); deep vein thrombosis in 3; fresh thrombosis in prostatic venous plexus (6/9 men)

Lax et al. [48]

32,422,076

Autopsies

11

DAD in 11 /11; bronchopneumonia (6/11); Fibrous adhesions (7/11)

Yes

Thrombosis of small and mid-sized pulmonary arteries (11/11)

Yan et al. [49]

32,422,081

Complete autopsy

1

DAD

Yes

Pulmonary infarction

Buja et al. [50]

32,434,133

Complete autopsies

3

DAD

Yes

Pulmonary embolism in 1/3

Martinez et al. [51]

32,437,316

Complete autopsies

8

DAD

Yes

Fibrinous thrombi in 1/8

Schaller et al. [52]

32,437,497

Complete autopsies

10

DAD

Yes

____

Duarte-Neto et al. [53]

32,443,177

Post-mortem “biopsies”

10

DAD

Yes

Fibrinous thrombi in 8/10; small thrombi in kidneys (glomeruli) and other organs

Sekulic et al. [54]

32,451,533

Complete (1) and partial(1) autopsy

2

DAD

Yes

_______

Aguiar et al. [55]

32,458,044

Complete autopsy

1

DAD, superimposed pneumonia

Yes

_______

Schaefer et al. [56]

32,561,849

Autopsies

7

Acute DAD (2/7), organizing DAD (5/7)

Yes

Pulmonary thromboembolism (5/7)

Beigmohammadi et al. [57]

32,552,178

Post-mortem biopsies from Lung, Heart and Liver

7

DAD (5/7), Acute pneumonia (2/7)

Yes

None mentioned

Konopka et al. [58]

32,542,743

Limited autopsies

8

DAD (8/8)

Yes

Fibrin thrombi (5/8)

Escher et al. [59]

32,529,795

Endomyocardial biopsy

5

Myocardial necrosis, small arterial obliteration

Not applicable

None mentioned

  1. Abbreviation: DAD Diffuse alveolar damage