Spectrum of neuroimaging findings in COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Radiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global health crisis.
• Neurological complications are increasingly recognized in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
• These complications range from stroke to myelitis, impacting various parts of the central and peripheral nervous system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document and illustrate the spectrum of neuroimaging findings in critically ill patients with COVID-19.
• To correlate clinical presentation with neuroimaging results in this patient cohort.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of neurological manifestations in severe COVID-19 cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of neuroimaging studies (MRI, CT) performed on hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
• Detailed review of radiological findings, including ischemic stroke, venous thrombosis, microbleeds, and inflammatory changes.
• Correlation of imaging findings with clinical data and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Observed neuroimaging findings included acute ischemic stroke, cerebral venous thrombosis, and microbleeds.
• Meningoencephalitis, demyelinating lesions, and hypoxic/watershed changes were also noted.
• Spinal cord involvement, such as viral myelitis and Guillain-Barre syndrome, was identified in some cases.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 presents with a wide array of neurological complications detectable by neuroimaging.
• Neuroimaging is crucial for diagnosing and characterizing neurological sequelae in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
• Understanding these neuroimaging features aids in patient management and prognosis assessment.