We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App





Specialized MRI Detects Lung Abnormalities in Non-Hospitalized Long COVID Patients

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 25 May 2022

Beyond the acute respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 infection, which can result in severe illness, hospitalization and death, the medium and long‐term problems experienced by people following COVID‐19 can be considerable. More...

Symptoms can persist months after initial infection. The presence of ongoing symptoms related to prior COVID-19 infection is known as post-COVID-19 condition, or long COVID. Although over 200 symptoms have been reported, the most common are breathlessness, fatigue and brain fog. Long COVID presents a global health burden, with many people unable to return to normal activities or employment months after becoming unwell. In long COVID, a breathing pattern disorder is commonly identified and contributes to breathlessness in a significant proportion of patients. However, whether there are additional reasons for their breathlessness remains unclear. Now, a special type of MRI has found lung abnormalities in patients who had previously had COVID-19, even those who had not been hospitalized with the illness, according to a new study.

In the study by researchers at the University of Sheffield (Sheffield, UK) and University of Oxford (Oxford, UK), a specialized type of MRI (Hp-XeMRI) found lung abnormalities in non-hospitalized patients with long COVID months after initial infection. The findings provide preliminary evidence that non-hospitalized long COVID patients may have abnormalities indicative of decreased lung function that cannot be detected with conventional CT imaging. Hp-XeMRI has shown promise in detecting abnormalities of alveolar gas exchange - where oxygen moves from the lungs to the bloodstream and carbon dioxide passes from the blood to the lungs - even when CT scans and lung function tests were normal. Hp-XeMRI enables the assessment of ventilation and gas exchange into red blood cells. It provides regional information of pulmonary vasculature integrity and may be able to identify lung abnormalities not apparent on CT.

For this prospective study, researchers set out to determine whether previously described lung abnormalities on Hp-XeMRI in post-hospitalized COVID-19 participants are also present in non-hospitalized participants with long COVID. Eleven non-hospitalized long COVID (NHLC) participants and 12 post-hospitalized COVID-19 (PHC) participants were enrolled from June 2020 to August 2021. All participants had symptoms of breathlessness. NHLC participants were 240-334 days from infection, and PHC participants were 105-190 days from infection. As a control group, healthy volunteers with no evidence of prior COVID-19 infection were recruited from staff at the University of Sheffield and the University of Oxford.

Participants were given chest CT, Hp-XeMRI, pulmonary function tests, one-minute sit-to-stand tests and breathlessness questionnaires. Control subjects underwent HP-XeMRI only. CT scans were analyzed for post-COVID lung disease severity using a previously published scoring system, and Full-scale Airway Network (FAN) modeling. Analysis used group and pair-wise comparisons between participants and controls, and correlations between participant clinical and imaging data. NHLC and PHC participants had normal or near normal CT scans.

The results showed that there were significant differences in mean red blood cell to tissue plasma ratio between healthy controls and PHC/NHLC participants, indicating potential differences in lung function. Although participants had normal or near normal CT scores, total lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide percentage was significantly lower between NHLC and PHC participants, potentially indicating a decrease in lung function but not structure. The researchers have said their next step is to expand their study to look at larger numbers of participants seen in dedicated post-COVID clinics at four UK centers.

“In a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the University of Sheffield, we have been able to identify abnormalities in the lungs of both hospitalized and non-hospitalized participants using a novel imaging technique, Hyperpolarized Xenon 129MRI, or Hp-XeMRI,” said the study’s senior author, Fergus Gleeson, M.B.B.S., from the Department of Oncology, University of Oxford and Department of Radiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. “These abnormalities are not apparent on conventional imaging, and in some individuals were detected up to a year after their initial COVID-19 infection. We will assess different groups of participants who have had COVID and correlate the findings with physiological data, symptom-based questionnaires and cardiac MRI to better understand the clinical significance of our findings.”

“Using Hp-XeMRI may enable us to further understand the cause of breathlessness in long COVID patients, and ultimately lead to better treatments to improve this often debilitating symptom,” added study co-author James T. Grist, Ph.D., from University of Oxford.

Related Links:
University of Sheffield 
University of Oxford 


Gold Member
POC Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile Prime Plus
Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
New
MR Trolley
MR9002
New
High Pressure Balloon Catheter
UroMax Ultra
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to HospiMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Hospital Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of HospiMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of HospiMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of HospiMedica International in digital format
  • Free HospiMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: For the first time, a fluorescent-guided nerve imaging agent has shown promise for use in humans (Photo courtesy of VUMC)

Fluorescent Imaging Agent ‘Lights Up’ Nerves for Better Visualization During Surgery

Surgical nerve injury is a significant concern in head and neck surgeries, where nerves are at risk of being inadvertently damaged during procedures. Such injuries can lead to complications that may impact... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The revolutionary automatic IV-Line flushing device set for launch in the EU and US in 2026 (Photo courtesy of Droplet IV)

Revolutionary Automatic IV-Line Flushing Device to Enhance Infusion Care

More than 80% of in-hospital patients receive intravenous (IV) therapy. Every dose of IV medicine delivered in a small volume (<250 mL) infusion bag should be followed by subsequent flushing to ensure... Read more

Business

view channel
Image: A research collaboration aims to further advance findings in human genomics research in cardiovascular diseases (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Bayer and Broad Institute Extend Research Collaboration to Develop New Cardiovascular Therapies

A research collaboration will focus on the joint discovery of novel therapeutic approaches based on findings in human genomics research related to cardiovascular diseases. Bayer (Berlin, Germany) and... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.