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. 2020 Dec 28;8(2):ofaa640.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa640. eCollection 2021 Feb.

Histological Evidence of Pulmonary Microthrombosis and Vasculitis in Life-Threatening Respiratory Virus Diseases

Heather W Dolby  1 , Philippe Potey  1 , Annika B Wilder-Smith  1 , Sara Clohisey  2 , Jonathan E Millar  2 , J Kenneth Baillie  2 , David A Dorward  1 , Christopher D Lucas  1 , Clark D Russell  1   2
Affiliations

Histological Evidence of Pulmonary Microthrombosis and Vasculitis in Life-Threatening Respiratory Virus Diseases

Heather W Dolby et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Pulmonary microthrombosis and vasculitis occur in fatal coronavirus disease 2019. To determine whether these processes occur in other life-threatening respiratory virus infections, we identified autopsy studies of fatal influenza (n = 455 patients), severe acute respiratory syndrome ([SARS] n = 37), Middle East respiratory syndrome (n = 2), adenovirus (n = 34), and respiratory syncytial virus (n = 30). Histological evidence of thrombosis was frequently present in adults with fatal influenza and SARS, with vasculitis also reported.

Keywords: SARS coronavirus; acute respiratory distress syndrome; influenza; thrombosis; vasculitis.

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