Scientific article
Case report
OA Policy
English

Inside the lungs of COVID-19 disease

Published inInternational Journal of Legal Medicine, vol. 134, no. 4, p. 1271-1274
Publication date2020
Abstract

In the setting of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, only few data regarding lung pathology induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is available, especially without medical intervention interfering with the natural evolution of the disease. We present here the first case of forensic autopsy of a COVID-19 fatality occurring in a young woman, in the community. Diagnosis was made at necropsy and lung histology showed diffuse alveolar damage, edema, and interstitial pneumonia with a geographically heterogeneous pattern, mostly affecting the central part of the lungs. This death related to COVID-19 pathology highlights the heterogeneity and severity of central lung lesions after natural evolution of the disease.

Keywords
  • Adenoviridae/genetics/isolation & purification
  • Adult
  • Autopsy
  • Betacoronavirus/genetics/isolation & purification
  • Bocavirus/genetics/isolation & purification
  • C-Reactive Protein/analysis
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus/genetics/isolation & purification
  • Coronavirus Infections/pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Influenzavirus A/genetics/isolation & purification
  • Influenzavirus B/genetics/isolation & purification
  • Lung/pathology
  • Macrophages/pathology
  • Megakaryocytes/pathology
  • Metapneumovirus/genetics/isolation & purification
  • Neutrophils/pathology
  • Obesity
  • Morbid
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia
  • Viral/pathology
  • Procalcitonin/blood
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus
  • Human/genetics/isolation & purification
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rhinovirus/genetics/isolation & purification
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Switzerland
  • T-Lymphocytes/pathology
Citation (ISO format)
AGUIAR, Diego et al. Inside the lungs of COVID-19 disease. In: International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2020, vol. 134, n° 4, p. 1271–1274. doi: 10.1007/s00414-020-02318-9
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
accessLevelPublic
Identifiers
Journal ISSN0937-9827
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565downloads

Technical informations

Creation17/12/2020 16:05:00
First validation17/12/2020 16:05:00
Update09/02/2026 15:26:11
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