Luis A. Cerón-Vaca, Especialidad de Radiología e Imagen, Facultad Mexicana de Medicina, Universidad La Salle México, Ciudad de México, México
Luis A. Rodríguez-Palomares, Departamento de Radiología, Centro Médico Dalinde, Ciudad de México, México
Background: Severe COVID-19 has been linked to comorbidity such as atherosclerosis, where the systemic response induced by severe infection can accelerate atheroma progression, destabilize plaque, and generate new lesions. Objective: Determine the association between the severity of lung involvement and atherosclerosis in patients with COVID-19. Method: Observational, cross-sectional study in patients with COVID-19 confirmed by polymerase chain reaction test, who developed pneumonia, aged 25 to 99 years, with high-resolution chest computed tomography. Patients with immunocompromise, previous lung disease, non-assessable tomography or without simple phase were excluded. Information was obtained from the clinical record and the tomography to obtain the CO-RADS classification, severity scale for COVID-19, diagnosis of atherosclerosis and demographic variables. Percentages, mean, standard deviation, chi square and Student’s t were obtained, with a statistically significant p value < 0.05. Results: Of 140 patients, 67.9% were men, mean 61.4 ± 4.8 years, with moderate pulmonary involvement 59.3%, CO-RADS 5 57.9% and atherosclerosis 62.9%. 58% had moderate pulmonary involvement and atherosclerosis, without significant differences with respect to sex (p = 0.79), age (p = 0.82) or pulmonary involvement (p = 0.60). Conclusions: There was no significant association between atherosclerosis and the degree of lung involvement.
Keywords: COVID-19. Atherosclerosis. Lung involvement. Severity. Tomographic findings.