Table 3.
Microscopic and gross pathological findings in hearts from Covid-19 decedents compared to hearts from control group
| Characteristic | Covid-19 decedents (N = 10) | Non Covid-19 decedents (N = 20) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart weight (grams) | 463 (150–650) | 460 (320–890) | 0.96 |
| Thickness of left ventricular wall (cm) | 1.56 (1.3–1.9) | 1.74 (1–2.6) | 0.11 |
| Thickness of right ventricular wall (cm) | 0.55 (0.4–0.7) | 0.57 (0.3–1.7) | 0.78 |
| Mean percentage of coronary artery stenosis | 43.5 (10–80) | 40.1 (0–90) | 0.87 |
| Pleural effusion | 7 (70) | 14 (70) | 1 |
| Pleuritis | 0 (0) | 2 (10) | 1 |
| Thrombosis | 4 (40); 2 PE and 2 brachiocephalic vein thrombosis | 3 (15); 2 PE and 1 portal vein thrombosis | 0.18 |
| Epicardial macrophages per mm2 | 80.4 (18–112) | 47.8 (14-115), n = 18 | 0.008 |
| Myocardial macrophages per mm2 | 62.4 (10.2–130.6) | 26.8 (6.8-60.1), n = 18 | 0.008 |
| Cases with single myocyte necrosis | 5 (50) | 1 (5) | 0.008 |
| Cases with transmural myocytolysis | 9 (90) | 10 (50) | 0.04 |
| Cases with transmural edema | 9 (90) | 10 (50) | 0.04 |
| Cases with microvascular thrombosis | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
Data refer to number (percentage) or mean (range) unless specified.
PE, pulmonary embolism.
For each characteristic, when information regarding the characteristic was not available for all of the patients in the group, the number of patients is noted as n = x.