MRI of severe COVID-19 patients show distinct neuroradiologic patterns

France: COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people worldwide, with over 8 million people being reported to be infected with the novel coronavirus. In India, as per the latest updates, the total cases of coronavirus have risen to 3.66 lakh. 

As the scope of its varied clinical symptoms and effects continues to grow, there is increasing data on the association between COVID-19 and adverse neurological symptoms. Now, a recent study in the journal Radiology has described eight distinctive neuroradiological patterns in patients with severe COVID-19 infection with abnormal brain MRIs. The results of the study could help clinicians better recognize the effects of the disease.

Stéphane Kremer, Hôpital de Hautepierre in Strasbourg, France, and colleagues conducted the study to describe the neuroimaging findings (excluding ischemic infarcts) in patients with severe COVID-19 infection.

The study involved 37 patients evaluated from March 23th, 2020 to April 27th, 2020 at 16 hospitals. Patients with positive nasal or lower respiratory tract reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, severe COVID-19 infection that required hospitalization and oxygen, neurologic manifestations, and abnormal brain MRI scans, were included. Those with missing or non-contributory data regarding brain MRI or a brain MRI showing ischemic infarcts, cerebral venous thrombosis, or chronic lesions unrelated to the current event were excluded.