Respiratory failure & ventilation
Histological proof of pulmonary herpesvirus presence in patients with COVID-19- or influenza-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
Authors' conclusion
Pulmonary HSV-1 was associated with tracheobronchitis in a subset of patients in a viral load dependent manner. Pulmonary CMV presence appeared histologically insignificant and likely represents a bystander phenomenon of critical illness.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with COVID-19- or influenza-related ARDS who died in the ICU and underwent autopsy, 2009–2021
- Participants
- 42 patients
- Exposure
- COVID-19 vs Influenza
- COVID-19n = 22
- Influenzan = 20
- Outcome
- Histologically proven pulmonary HSV-1 and CMV infection (PCR and immunohistochemistry on lung tissue)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Proven pulmonary herpesvirus infection
Proven HSV-1-associated necrotizing tracheobronchitis
6 of 42
14%
Proven cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (focal presence of a few CMV-infected cells)
1
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
HSV-1 PCR on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for diagnosing proven HSV-1 infection (ROC analysis)
- Optimal cutoff
- 4.11 log₁₀ copies/mL
- Sensitivity
- 100%
- Specificity
- 69%
Original publication
Histological proof of pulmonary herpesvirus presence in patients with COVID-19- or influenza-related ARDS. Crit Care. Published 2 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →