Assessment of small pulmonary blood vessels in COVID-19 patients using HRCT

New publication on FRI: Assessment of small pulmonary blood vessels in COVID-19 patients using HRCT

Mounting evidence supports the role of pulmonary hemodynamic alterations in the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

Building upon previous work, automated HRCT measures of small blood vessel volume and pulmonary vascular density were developed. Scans from 103 COVID-19 patients and 108 healthy volunteers were analyzed and their results compared, with comparisons made on both lobar and global levels.

COVID-19 patients showed significant reduction in BV5 (pulmonary blood volume contained in blood vessels of <5 mm²) expressed as BV5/(total pulmonary blood volume) (p<0.0001), and significant increases in BV5_10 and BV 10 (pulmonary blood volumes contained in vessels between 5 and 10 mm² and above 10 mm², respectively) (p<0.0001). These changes were consistent across lobes.

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