{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,2]],"date-time":"2026-01-02T17:04:25Z","timestamp":1767373465247,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,15]],"date-time":"2022-11-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1668470400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 2019 and quickly became the cause of the fifth worst pandemic in human history. Our goal for this research paper was to examine the morphology of the lungs in 88 patients that died from COVID-19 in Latvia, thus increasing the data available about the histological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-induced disease. Lung tissue samples from 88 autopsies were visualized in hematoxylin\u2013eosin and assessed by light microscopy. The male-to-female ratio was 56:32, and the mean age was 62 years \u00b1 15.5 years (22\u201394 years). Clinically important laboratory data were assessed, including leucocyte count, CRP (C-reactive protein) and D-dimer levels. Signs of diffuse alveolar damage were found in 83\/88 (94.3%; 95% CI 87.0\u201397.9) of patients, 38\/88 (43.2%; 95% CI 33.3\u201353.6) in the exudative phase, and 45\/88 (51.1%; 95% CI 40.8\u201361.3) in the proliferative phase. Vascular damage was identified in 70\/88 (79.5%; 95% CI 69.9\u201386.7) of patients, and 83\/88 (94.3%; 95% CI 87.0\u201397.9) had signs of thrombosis. A sparse inflammatory infiltrate of lymphocytes and macrophages was a common finding aside from cases with an identified coinfection. Eighty patients had significant co-morbidities, including coronary heart disease (49), primary arterial hypertension (41), and diabetes mellitus (34). Since our group\u2019s demographic profile and spectrum of co-morbidities were analogous to other reports, the histological findings of marked diffuse alveolar damage, widespread vascular lesions, and active thrombosis can be considered representative of severe COVID-19.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics12112808","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,16]],"date-time":"2022-11-16T02:31:27Z","timestamp":1668565887000},"page":"2808","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Pathological Changes in the Lungs of Patients with a Lethal COVID-19 Clinical Course"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Valters","family":"Viksne","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Center, Riga East Clinical University Hospital \u201cGai\u013cezers\u201d, Hipokrata Street 2, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Department of Pathology, Riga Stradins University, 16 Dzirciema Street, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7393-9524","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ilze","family":"Strumfa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Riga Stradins University, 16 Dzirciema Street, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maris","family":"Sperga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Center, Riga East Clinical University Hospital \u201cGai\u013cezers\u201d, Hipokrata Street 2, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Department of Pathology, Riga Stradins University, 16 Dzirciema Street, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Janis","family":"Ziemelis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Center, Riga East Clinical University Hospital \u201cGai\u013cezers\u201d, Hipokrata Street 2, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Juris","family":"Abolins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Center, Riga East Clinical University Hospital \u201cGai\u013cezers\u201d, Hipokrata Street 2, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.1007\/s12024-020-00310-8","article-title":"Autopsy findings in COVID-19-related deaths: A literature review","volume":"17","author":"Maiese","year":"2021","journal-title":"Forensic Sci. 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