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. 2021 Apr 1;12:614586. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.614586

TABLE 5.

Summary of the main findings on other organs/tissues described in Sars-CoV-2 related death.

Author(s) Sample Organ(s) Microscopic finding(s) Immunoistochemistry Post-mortem molecular test Other(s)
Sekulic et al. (2020) 2 (2 M; 54, 81 years) Spleen: Enlarged, congested (1/2) Necrotizing granulomata (1/2) N.A. RT-PCR (positive) N.A.
Magro et al. (2020) 5 (2 F, 3 M; 32–73 years) SKIN: Purpuric lesions (3/5) Thrombogenic vasculopathy, epidermis and adnexal structures necrosis, interstitial and perivascular neutrophilia with prominent leukocytoclasia (1/3); superficial vascular ectasia and an occlusive arterial thrombus in the deeper reticular dermis (1/3); perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate in superficial dermis with small thrombi within rare venules of the deep dermis (1/3) C4d, C5b-9 (positive 3/3); SARS-cov-2 sP and eP (positive 2/3) N.A. N.A.
Menter et al. (2020) 21 (4 F; 17 M; 53–96 years) LYMPH NODE - SPLEEN - BONE MARROW LYMPH NODE: Plasmablasts increase (5/9), congestion (6/9); SPLEEN: Acute splenitis (6/21); BONE MARROW: Reactive left shift of myelopoiesis (3/5) CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD68, multiple myeloma 1 (positive) N.A. N.A.
Lax et al. (2020) 11 (8 m; 3 F; 66–91 years) PANCREAS - ADRENAL GLAND - SPLEEN - LYMPH NODE Pancreas: Focal pancreatitis (5/11); ADRENAL GLAND: Cortical hyperplasia (6/8); SLEEN: Lymphocyte depletion (10/11); LYMPH NODE: Lymphocyte depletion (11/11) N.A. N.A. N.A
Nunes Duarte-Neto et al. (2020) 10 (5 F; 5 M; 33–83 years) BRAIN - SPLEEN - SKIN - SKELETAL MUSCLE -testis BRAIN (n = 9): Reactive gliosis (8/9), neuronal satellitosis (5/9), small vessels disease (3/9), perivascular hemorrhages (1/9); SPLEEN (n = 5): Lymphoid hypoplasia (5/5), red pulp hemorrhages (3/5), splenitis (2/5), extramedullary hematopoiesis (5/5), endothelial changes of follicular arterioles (4/5), vasculitis and arterial thrombus (1/5); SKIN: Superficial perivascular mononuclear infiltrate (8/10), purpura (1/10), endothelial changes (3/10); SKELETAL MUSCLES: Myositis (6/10), necrotic fibers (8/10); TESTIS (n = 2): Orchitis (2/2) N.A. N.A. N.A.
von Weyhern et al. (2020) 6 (2 F, 4 M; 58–82 years) Brain: Massive intracranial hemorrhage (2/6), diffuse petechial hemorrhage Lymphocytic pan-encephalitis and meningitis; localized perivascular and interstitial encephalitis, neuronal cell loss, axon degeneration in the dorsal motor nuclei of the vagus nerve, CN V, nucleus tractus solitarii, dorsal raphe nuclei, and fasciculus longitudinalis medialis N.A. N.A. TEM: Unrelevant findings
Prilutskiy et al. (2020) 4 (1 F; 3 M; 64–91 years) Spleen: Enlarged, soft and friable (1/4); LYMPH NODES: Enlarged Spleen: Red pulp hemorrhage with admixed phagocytic histiocytes, focal hemophagocytosis and white pulp depletion (1/4); white pulp depletion with red pulp infarction, histiocytic hyperplasia, and numerous hemosiderin-laden macrophages (1/4); hyperplastic white pulp with red pulp congestion (2/4). BONE marrow: Trilineage hematopoiesis with left-shifted myeloid hyperplasia (2/2). LYMPH nodes: Clusters of hemophagocytic histiocytes, lymphophagocytosis predominantly CD163 (positive in bone marrow and lymph nodes) N.A. N.A.
Varga et al. (2020) 3 (M, 71 years; F, 58 years) + M, 69 years (small intestine resection) SMALL INTESTINE Mesenteric ischemia and submucosal vessels endotheliitis (1/3); endothelialitis (1/3) N.A. N.A. N.A.
Reichard et al. (2020) 1 (M; 71 years) Brain: Swelling, hemorrhagic lesions Destructive hemorrhagic white matter lesion with white matter pallor adjacent and peripheral macrophages, axonal injury, focal microscopic necrosis, perivascular cellular infiltrates CD68, CD3, CD20, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), amyloid precursor protein (APP), myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) (positive) N.A. N.A.
Conklin et al. (2020) 1 (N.A.) BRAIN Widespread microvascular injury of white matter with perivascular and parenchymal petechial hemorrhages and microscopic ischemic lesions N.A. N.A. N.A.
Solomon et al. (2020) 18 (4 F; 14 M; 53–75 years) Brain: Unrelevant Acute hypoxic ischemic damage (14/14) SARS-CoV-2 (negative) RT-PCR (positive in medulla, frontal lobe and olfactory nerves 16/18) N.A.
Iuga et al. (2020) 5 (4 F, 1 M; 59–90 years) ADRENAL GLAND Small vessels with acute fibrinoid necrosis, subendothelial vacuolization and apoptotic debris were present N.A. N.A. N.A.
Wang et al. (2020b) 1 (M; 65 years) LYMPH NODE Primary lymphoid follicles, scattered T lymphocytes, focal necrosis, nuclear fragmentation CD3, CD4, CD8 (positive) RT-PCR (negative) N.A.
Oprinca and Muja, 2020) 2 (1 F 79; 1 M 70 years) Spleen: Amyloid deposits on the surface (1/3) - LYMPH NODES: Pulmonary hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathies (1/3) Marked congestion white pulp atrophy absence of lymphoid follicles (2/3) N.A. N.A. -
Hanley et al. (2020a) 10 (7 M, 3 F; 73 years median age) thereof 1 MIA biopsy SPLEEN - BONE MARROW - LYMPH NODE - ADRENAL GLAND - BRAIN Spleen: Increased phagocytosis of other cells in red pulp sinusoidal macrophages (4/7), depletion of periarteriolar T-cell in white pulp (7/7),CD8-t cells reduced in red pulp (7/7), increasing of plasma cells, sinusoidal histiocytes phagocytosis of cells (7/7). BONE marrow: Hemophagocytosis (4/7), trilineage hyperplasia with plasma cells and histiocytes increasing (7/7). LYMPH nodes: Paracortical areas depletion (7/7). Adrenals: Patchy areas of infarct-type adrenocortical necrosis (3/9), vessels organizing microthrombi (1/9). Brain: Moderate to intense microglial activation (5/5), mild T-cell infiltration was noted around blood vessels and capillaries (5/5), ischemic neuronal changes (5/5) CD3, CD4, CD20, CD34, CD56, CD68-PGM1, CD61 (positive). Brain: BAPP (positive) RT-PCR (bone marrow: Positive 1/3. Brain: Positive 4/5. Spleen: Positive 2/3) N.A.
Remmelink et al. (2020) 17 (12 M, 5 F; 62–77 years) Gut: Ischemic enteritis (1/17). Brain: Subdural hematoma (1/17) and another a cerebral hemorrhage (1/17) BONE marrow: Hyperplasia (14/17). Brain: Cerebral focal necrosis (3/11), cerebral hemorrhage (2/11), cerebral edema (5/11), cerebral spongiosis (10/11). Bowel: Inschemic enteritis (1/11) N.A. RT-PCR (spleen: Positive 11/16. Bowel: Positive 14/17. Brain: Positive 9/11) N.A.
Rapkiewicz et al. (2020) 7 (4 F, 3 M; 44.65 years) Spleen: Congestion (1/7) - BONE MARROW - LYMPH NODE Spleen: White pulp depletion and red pulp congestion (n.a.). BONE marrow: Hypercellular with increased megakaryocytes (n.a.). LIMPH nodes: Dilated sinuses with marked sinus histiocytosis with focal erythrophagocytosis, numerous platelets, and megakaryocytes (5/5) LIMPH nodes: CD61 (positive) N.A. TEM: Rare virions in bone marrow megakaryocytes
Kantonen et al. (2020) 4 (3 M, 1 F; 63–90 years) Brain: Swelling, depigmentation of the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus, discoloration of the watershed areas, and a few lacunae in inferior putamen (1/4) Brain: Enlarged perivascular spaces with hemosiderophages, acute microhemorrhages, scattered T lymphocytes with very few B lymphocytes, fibrinoid deposits in cerebral and subarachnoidal vessels (1/4) SARS- CoV-2 NP (negative) RT-PCR (negative) N.A.
Skok et al. (2020) 19 (7 M, 12 F; 66–93 years) BOWEL Bowel: Trophic crypts, cryptitis, ulceration, and hemorrhage (6/19) anti-SARS- NP (n.a.) RT-PCR (positive 5/11) N.A.
Yang et al. (2020) 12 (M; 39–87 years) TESTE (biopsy) Sertoli cells swelling, vacuolation and cytoplasmic rarefaction, detachment from tubular basement membranes, lumen intratubular cell mass loss and sloughing, reduced leydig cells, mild lymphocytic inflammation CD3, CD20, CD68, CD138, ACE2 (positive) RT-PCR (positive 1/12) TEM: Unrelevant findings (3/12)

N.A., not available; Sars-CoV-2 NP, Sars-CoV-2 nucleo-capsid protein; Sars-CoV-2 sP, Sars-CoV-2 spike protein; Sars-CoV-2 eP, Sars-CoV-2 envelope protein; GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein; APP, amyloid precursor protein; PLP, myelin proteolipid protein; BAPP, β amyloid precursor protein; ACE2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; TEM, transmission electron microscopy.