Open AccessCOVID-19–associated Diffuse Leukoencephalopathy and Microhemorrhages
Author(s) -
Alireza Radmanesh,
Anna Derman,
Yvonne W. Lui,
Eytan Raz,
John P. Loh,
Mari Hagiwara,
Maria J. Borja,
Elçin Zan,
Girish M. Fatterpekar
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
radiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.118
H-Index - 295
eISSN - 1527-1315
pISSN - 0033-8419
DOI - 10.1148/radiol.2020202040
Subject(s) - medicine , leukoencephalopathy , white matter , covid-19 , hyperintensity , pathology , encephalopathy , magnetic resonance imaging , neuroimaging , radiology , disease , outbreak , infectious disease (medical specialty) , psychiatry
Diffuse leukoencephalopathy and juxtacortical and/or callosal microhemorrhages were brain imaging features in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been reported in association with a variety of brain imaging findings such as ischemic infarct, hemorrhage, and acute hemorrhagic necrotizing encephalopathy. Herein, the authors report brain imaging features in 11 critically ill patients with COVID-19 with persistently diminished mental status who underwent MRI between April 5 and April 25, 2020. These imaging features include (a) confluent T2 hyperintensity and mild restricted diffusion in bilateral supratentorial deep and subcortical white matter (in 10 of 11 patients) and (b) multiple punctate microhemorrhages in juxtacortical and callosal white matter (in seven of 11 patients). The authors also discuss potential pathogeneses.