Is a high chest CT severity score a risk factor for an increased incidence of long-term neuroimaging findings after COVID-19?

• Published in: Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases Vol. 32; no. 2; p. 106920
• Main Authors: Kaya, Ahmet Turan, Akman, Burcu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2023
• Subjects: Brain CT; Brain MRI; COVID-19; COVID-19 - diagnostic imaging; COVID-19 - epidemiology; CT severity score; Humans; Incidence; Neuroimaging; Neuroimaging - methods; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2; Stroke; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; COVID-19; Neuroimaging; Stroke; CT severity score; Brain MRI; Brain CT
• ISSN: 1052-3057; 1532-8511; 1532-8511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2022.106920

•The most common neuroimaging finding was ASIS [47/272 (17.3%)].•There was insignificant relationship between NIP and ICU admission and mortality.•Significant temporal changes of CT-SS in both the patients with NIP and NIN.•The temporal change in was not only associated with NIP. We aimed to determine the incidences of neuroimaging findings (NIF) and investigate the relationship between the course of pneumonia severity and neuroimaging findings. Our study was a retrospective analysis of 272 (>18 years) COVID-19 patients who were admitted between “March 11, 2021, and September 26, 2022". All patients underwent both chest CT and neuroimaging. The patient's chest CTs were evaluated for pneumonia severity using a severity score system (CT-SS). The incidence of NIF was calculated. NIF were categorized into two groups; neuroimaging positive (NIP) and neuroimaging negative (NIN). Consecutive CT-SS changes in positive and negative NIF patients were analyzed. The median age of total patients was 71; IQR, 57-80. Of all patients, 56/272 (20.6%) were NIP. There was no significant relationship between NIP and mortality (p = 0.815) and ICU admission (p = 0.187). The incidences of NIF in our patients were as follows: Acute-subacute ischemic stroke: 47/272 (17.3%); Acute spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage: 13/272 (4.8%); Cerebral microhemorrhages: 10/272 (3.7%) and Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: 3/25 (10.7%). Temporal change of CT-SSs, there was a statistically significant increase in the second and third CT-SSs compared to the first CT-SS in both patients with NIP and NIN. Our results showed that since neurological damage can be seen in the late period and neurological damage may develop regardless of pneumonia severity.