Respiratory failure & ventilation
Post-mortem lung biopsies in fatal Covid-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome: a prospective cohort study of 169 patients (HISTOCOVID)
Authors' conclusion
DAD was the most common pathological pattern, whereas collagen fibrosis and microthrombi were rare. A quarter of patients had evidence of OP or AFOP.
Study context
- Population
- Patients who died of Covid-19-ARDS in 26 ICUs in France, 22/04/2020–08/03/2021338 biopsies
- Participants
- 169 patients
- Outcome
- Final histopathological diagnosis of post-mortem lung biopsies
Methodological detailsmulticentre, post-mortem percutaneous lung biopsies, Bedside biopsies by the intensivist immediately after death, 14G needle, anatomical landmarks; all examined by a pathologist
- Multicentre
- Post-mortem percutaneous lung biopsies
- Bedside biopsies by the intensivist immediately after death, 14G needle, anatomical landmarks; all examined by a pathologist
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Histopathological patterns
- Lung parenchyma evaluable
- 155/169 (92%)
- Early proliferative-phase diffuse alveolar damage (DAD)
- 39%
- Late proliferative-phase DAD
- 32%
- Exudative-phase DAD
- 18%
- Fibrotic-phase DAD
- 3 (2%)
- Organising pneumonia (OP)
- 21 (13%)
- Acute fibrinous and organising pneumonia (AFOP)
- 16 (9%)
- Unclassified interstitial lesions
- 33 (21%)
- Microthrombi
- 6%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Post-mortem lung biopsies in fatal Covid-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome: a prospective cohort study of 169 patients (HISTOCOVID). Ann Intensive Care. Published 11 June 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →