Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32449057›Full record

ArticleActa neuropathologica2020

Neuropathology of COVID-19: a spectrum of vascular and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)-like pathology.

R Ross Reichard, Kianoush B Kashani, Nicholas A Boire, Eleni Constantopoulos, Yong Guo, Claudia F Lucchinetti

Open access · hybridAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Acta neuropathologica, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 313 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
313citing papers in PubMed, 15 pooled it
40.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

313 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 489 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. Neurological and Head/Eyes/Ears/Nose/Throat Manifestations of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques · 2022
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  11. Histopathological findings and clinicopathologic correlation in COVID-19: a systematic review.Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc · 2021
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  14. Neuropathologic findings of patients with COVID-19: a systematic review.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2021
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  16. Human brain matters: Navigating the neuropathology of COVID-19.Brain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland) · 2026
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253 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

R Ross ReichardDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Reichard.robert@mayo.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0842-2462
Kianoush B KashaniDepartment of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Nicholas A BoireDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Eleni ConstantopoulosDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Yong GuoDepartment of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Claudia F LucchinettiDepartment of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Mayo Clinic in Arizona · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We report the neuropathological findings of a patient who died from complications of COVID-19. The decedent was initially hospitalized for surgical management of underlying coronary artery disease. He developed post-operative complications and was evaluated with chest imaging studies. The chest computed tomography (CT) imaging results were indicative of COVID-19 and he was subsequently tested for SARS-CoV-2, which was positive. His condition worsened and he died after more than 2 weeks of hospitalization and aggressive treatment. The autopsy revealed a range of neuropathological lesions, with features resembling both vascular and demyelinating etiologies. Hemorrhagic white matter lesions were present throughout the cerebral hemispheres with surrounding axonal injury and macrophages. The subcortical white matter had scattered clusters of macrophages, a range of associated axonal injury, and a perivascular acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)-like appearance. Additional white matter lesions included focal microscopic areas of necrosis with central loss of white matter and marked axonal injury. Rare neocortical organizing microscopic infarcts were also identified. Imaging and clinical reports have demonstrated central nervous system complications in patients' with COVID-19, but there is a gap in our understanding of the neuropathology. The lesions described in this case provide insight into the potential parainfectious processes affecting COVID-19 patients, which may direct clinical management and ongoing research into the disease. The clinical course of the patient also illustrates that during prolonged hospitalizations neurological complications of COVID may develop, which are particularly difficult to evaluate and appreciate in the critically ill.

Indexed as

AgedAutopsyBetacoronavirusBrainCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19HumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleNervous System DiseasesNeuropathologyPandemicsPneumonia, ViralSARS-CoV-2Tomography, X-Ray ComputedCOVID-19DemyelinatingInfarctNeuropathologySARS-CoV-2White matter

Identifiers

PMID32449057
PMCPMC7245994
OpenAlexW3027354145

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.