Pathological Features of COVID-19 Pneumonia Diagnosed Following an Autopsy

After initial emergence at the end of 2019, coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) rapidly spread to become a pandemic. The causative agent is recognized as a novel coronavirus, named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which is known to primarily affect the respiratory system. We present...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inKorean Journal of Legal Medicine Vol. 45; no. 4; pp. 145 - 149
Main Authors Koo, Hyun Lyoung, Kwon, Hee Joo, Lee, Won Tae
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 30.11.2021
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Summary:After initial emergence at the end of 2019, coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) rapidly spread to become a pandemic. The causative agent is recognized as a novel coronavirus, named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which is known to primarily affect the respiratory system. We present the case of a 60-year-old man who was diagnosed to have COVID-19 pneumonia following an autopsy. Microscopic examination of the lung tissue showed acute (exudative) phase of diffuse alveolar damage, inflammatory infiltrates in alveolar spaces and interstitium, atypical pneumocytes with prominent nucleoli and expanded cytoplasm, and thrombi in small arterioles. Some megakaryocytes were observed, which were positive for immunohistochemical stain for CD61. The pathological findings observed in this case were consistent with those of previously published reports of COVID-19 pneumonia. This is the first case of COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosed with an autopsy in Korea.
ISSN:2383-5702
2383-5710
DOI:10.7580/kjlm.2021.45.4.145