Forty Postmortem Examinations in COVID-19 Patients: Two Distinct Pathologic Phenotypes and Correlation With Clinical and Radiologic Findings

De Michele, Simona; Sun, Yu; Yilmaz, Mine M; Katsyv, Igor; Salvatore, Mary; Dzierba, Amy L; Marboe, Charles C; Brodie, Daniel; Patel, Nina M; Garcia, Christine K; Saqi, Anjali

OBJECTIVES: Although diffuse alveolar damage, a subtype of acute lung injury (ALI), is the most common microscopic pattern in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), other pathologic patterns have been described. The aim of the study was to review autopsies from COVID-19 decedents to evaluate the spectrum of pathology and correlate the results with clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings. METHODS: A comprehensive and quantitative review from 40 postmortem examinations was performed. The microscopic patterns were categorized as follows: “major” when present in more than 50% of cases and “novel” if rarely or not previously described and unexpected clinically. RESULTS: Three major pulmonary patterns were identified: ALI in 29 (73%) of 40, intravascular fibrin or platelet-rich aggregates (IFPAs) in 36 (90%) of 40, and vascular congestion and hemangiomatosis-like change (VCHL) in 20 (50%) of 40. The absence of ALI (non-ALI) was novel and seen in 11 (27%) of 40. Compared with ALI decedents, those with non-ALI had a shorter hospitalization course (P = .02), chest radiographs with no or minimal consolidation (P = .01), and no pathologically confirmed cause of death (9/11). All non-ALI had VCHL and IFPAs, and clinically most had cardiac arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Two distinct pulmonary phenotypic patterns—ALI and non-ALI—were noted. Non-ALI represents a rarely described phenotype. The cause of death in non-ALI is most likely COVID-19 related but requires additional corroboration.