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Cerebrovascular Complications and Vessel Wall Imaging in COVID-19 Encephalopathy—A Pilot Study

Background and Purpose Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with several complications of the central nervous system (CNS), including acute encephalopathy. Methods In this pilot study, we report a series of 39 pa...

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Published in:Clinical neuroradiology (Munich) 2022-03, Vol.32 (1), p.287-293
Main Authors: Uginet, Marjolaine, Breville, Gautier, Hofmeister, Jérémy, Machi, Paolo, Lalive, Patrice H., Rosi, Andrea, Fitsiori, Aikaterini, Vargas, Maria Isabel, Assal, Frederic, Allali, Gilles, Lovblad, Karl-Olof
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Language:English
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Summary:Background and Purpose Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with several complications of the central nervous system (CNS), including acute encephalopathy. Methods In this pilot study, we report a series of 39 patients (66.5 ± 9.2 years; 10.3% female) with acute encephalopathy, who underwent a standard brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 1.5 T during the acute symptomatic phase. In addition to diffusion-weighted imaging, MR angiography and susceptibility-weighted images, high-resolution vascular black blood sequences (in 34 cases) were used to investigate the vasculature of the brain. Results In 29 out of 34 patients with COVID-19 encephalopathy (85%) with high-resolution vessel wall imaging, we found a circular enhancement and thickening of the basilar and vertebral arteries, without any correlation with ischemia or microbleeds (reported in 21% and 59%, respectively). Conclusion We report a high prevalence of vascular changes suggestive of endotheliitis as reported in other organs. This could suggest an inflammatory mechanism underlying this encephalopathy .
ISSN:1869-1439
1869-1447
DOI:10.1007/s00062-021-01008-2