One year into the pandemic, researchers have finally discovered the relationship between the severity of COVID-19 on CT of the lungs and the severity of the virus on brain MRI.
By examining the findings of lung CT scans, researchers from the University of Cincinnati said, providers can predict how badly a COVID-19-post patient may suffer from brain problems. may appear on MRI. By doing this, they could improve and identify patient outcomes and symptoms.
“We have seen patients with COVID-19 get strokes, stroke, and other disorders affecting the brain,” said study co-director Abdelkader Mahammedi, MD, professor of radiation at the University of Cincinnati. “Thus, we discover, through patient experiences, that neurological symptoms are associated with those with more severe respiratory disease; however, little information was available on identifying possible links between brain and lung image atrophy in COVID-19 patients. ”
Related Content: Brain MRI reveals leukoencephalopathy vulnerability in COVID-19 patients
Images, he said, are proof. It reassures doctors about the severity and shape of an illness, and contributes to patient care decision making. The team led by Mahammedi and Achala Vagal, MD, professor of radiation, published their findings March 12 in the American Journal of Neuroradiology. They will also present their findings at the 59th annual meeting of the American Society of Neuroradiology.
Together with colleagues from centers in Spain, Italy, and Brazil, the UC team reviewed electronic medical records and images of 135 COVID-19-post patients who were hospitalized between March 3, 2020, and 25 June, 2020, who knew both respiratory and brain problems.
Related Content: Windows of Infection: MRI reveals COVID-19-Linked eye anomaly
Of this group, 49 patients – 36 percent – had both abnormal lung CT scans and neurological symptoms. Notably, these patients had significantly higher lung CT scores – 9.9 compared with 5.8 from patients without severe neuroimaging results. They were also more likely to present with an ischemic stroke (40 patients versus 11 patients), the team said, and were more likely to have either ground glass opacities or stabilization.
Based on the team’s analysis, a CT lung depth score threshold of at least 8 74-percent and 65-percent sensitivity was specific for gloomy neuroimaging decisions. Notably, 28 percent had an acute ischemic infarct, 10 percent had intracranial hemorrhage (including microhemorrhages), and 11 percent had leukoencephalopathy with or without restricted circulation. Peripheral ground glass opacities with or without fixation were the main findings of chest CT.
Related content: Post-COVID-19, CT reveals possible lung damage in one-third of patients
These findings, Mahammedi said, can be a powerful tool for providers, allowing them to use the severity of the disease identified on the patient’s CT scan to classify these people into groups that is more likely to develop anomaly on brain images. Being able to do so will strengthen the physician’s ability to implement medications to improve outcomes, such as stroke prevention.
“These results are important because they further show that severe lung disease from COVID-19 can lead to severe brain problems, and we have the image to confirm it,” he said. “Larger studies are needed in the future to help us better understand the link, but for now, we hope that these results can be used to help advance care and to ensure patients have the best outcomes. ”
For more coverage based on the opinions of research and research experts, subscribe to the Diagnostic Imaging e-newsletter here.