Changing of pulmonary artery diameter in accordance with severity of COVID-19 (assessment based on non-contrast computer tomography)

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography is the method of choice for assessing the volume of lung damage in viral pneumonia, including those associated with COVID-19. In addition, computed tomography can determine the main vessels size of the thorax. This allowed us to analyze the relationship between the severity of COVID-19 and the changes in the diameters of the pulmonary artery (PA) and ascending aorta (Ao). Dilation of the PA is a sign of pulmonary hypertension. The study of these patterns may be of clinical significance in determining the treatment tactics and prognosis of the course of COVID-19 disease.

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between PA diameter and the severity of the COVID-19 course in patients of different ages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a single-centered, cross-section, continuous, uncontrolled study performed on a group of patients (n=511, 267 men, median 59 years, IQR 49.0–65.0, ages 31–84 years) who were treated in a temporary hospital to treat patient with COVID-19. During hospitalization all patients were examined by CT scan of the chest. All studies were carried out using a mobile CT scan system Airo TruCT (Stryker, USA). The degree of damage to the lung tissue was assessed using the CT volume scale 1–4. Measurement of the LA and Ao diameters was carried out using standard instruments of the radiologist’s CT workstation perpendicular to the long axis of the vessel.

RESULTS: The following statistically significant regularities were obtained: the detection of a dilated pulmonary artery (PA) and an increased PA/Ao ratio correlated to an increase in the degree of lung damage in COVID-19 (Kruskal-Wallis test, K-W p <0.001; median test, MT p <0.001), the diameter of the ascending aorta (Ao) significantly increases with the patient’s age (K-W p <0.001; MT p <0.001). An insignificant correlation between an increase in the diameter of the pulmonary artery (PA) and the patient’s age (K-W p=0.094; MT p=0.311) and an insignificant correlation between detection of a change in aortic (Ao) diameter and the degree of lung damage (K-W p=0.061; MT p=0.165) were shown. In groups with a severe course of the disease and a large volume of lung lesions (CT-3 and CT-4), a significantly greater number of patients with signs of pulmonary hypertension (detection of the dilated pulmonary artery: 29 mm and more) was shown for all age groups.

CONCLUSION: The study showed that PA dilatation and increased PA/Ao diameter ratio were significantly associated with increased pulmonary lesion volume in COVID-19 in all age groups.

About the authors

Alexander F. Aliev

L.A. Vorokhobov Municipal Clinical Hospital No 67 of the Moscow Health Department; The Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Tuberculosis Control of the Moscow Health Department

Email: alijealex83@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3282-0567
SPIN-code: 7891-9314

MD, Cand. Sci. (Med.)

Russian Federation, 2/44, Salyama Adilya street, 123423 Moscow; 10 c1, Stromynka Street, 107014 Moscow

Nikita D. Kudryavtsev

L.A. Vorokhobov Municipal Clinical Hospital No 67 of the Moscow Health Department; Moscow Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine

Email: n.kudryavtsev@npcmr.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4203-0630
SPIN-code: 1125-8637

diagnostic radiologist, junior researcher

Russian Federation, 2/44, Salyama Adilya street, 123423 Moscow; 24 с1, Petrovka street, 127051 Moscow

Alexey V. Petraikin

Moscow Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine

Email: alexeypetraikin@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1694-4682
SPIN-code: 6193-1656

MD, Cand. Sci. (Med.), Associate Professor, leading researcher, diagnostic radiologist

Russian Federation, 24 с1, Petrovka street, 127051 Moscow

Zlata R. Artyukova

Moscow Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine

Email: z.artyukova@npcmr.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2960-9787
SPIN-code: 7550-2441

MD, junior researcher, radiologist

Russian Federation, 24 с1, Petrovka street, 127051 Moscow

Andrey S. Shkoda

Vorokhobov City Clinical Hospital No. 67

Email: gkb67@zdrav.mos.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9783-1796

MD, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Professor, doctor of the highest qualification category in the specialty, chief physician

Russian Federation, 2/44, Salama Adil street, 123423 Moscow

Sergey P. Morozov

Moscow Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine

Author for correspondence.
Email: morozov@npcmr.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6545-6170
SPIN-code: 8542-1720

MD, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Professor

Russian Federation, 24 с1, Petrovka street, 127051 Moscow

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Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
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1. JATS XML
2. Fig. 2. Airo TruCT mobile CT scanner was installed in the admission department of the temporary reserve hospital for the treatment of patients with COVID-19, which was organized in the Krylatskoe Ice Palace.

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3. Fig. 3. Examples of CT scans with different PA diameters and lung lesion degrees: a, b, non-dilated PA (27.0 mm) with CT-1 lung lesion (<25%); c, d, dilated PA (30.5 mm) with CT-2 lung lesion (25%–50%); e, f, dilated PA (32.6 mm) with CT-3 lung lesion (50%–75%); g, h, dilated PA (34.8 mm) with CT-4 lung lesion (over 75%).

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4. Fig. 1. Study design

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5. Fig. 4. Dependence of the PA diameter on age and lung lesion severity in COVID-19

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Copyright (c) 2021 Aliev A.F., Kudryavtsev N.D., Petraikin A.V., Artyukova Z.R., Shkoda A.S., Morozov S.P.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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