Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and meaning of the vessel wall irregularities sign, observed on computed tomography angiography of the pulmonary arteries of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.
Materials and methods: This retrospective study of the computed tomography pulmonary angiography findings of 65 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 included 27 women and 38 men, with a median age of 52 years (range, 20-86 years). The diagnosis of COVID-19 was established through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
Results: The vessel wall irregularities sign was observed in 50 (76.9%) of the 65 patients with COVID-19. Among those 50 patients, the vascular involvement was predominantly mixed (arterial and venous) in 43 (86%), subsegmental in all 50 (100%), segmental in 13 (26%), bilateral in 46 (92%), affecting 4-5 lobes in 35 (70%), mainly in the right lower lobe in 46 (92%), and mainly in the left lower lobe in 44 (88%).
Conclusion: The vessel wall irregularities is a prevalent sign of vascular involvement in patients with COVID-19.
Objetivo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as características e o significado do sinal das irregularidades parietais vasculares observado nas angiotomografias computadorizadas de artérias pulmonares de pacientes com pneumonia por COVID-19.
Materiais e métodos: Foram revisados, retrospectivamente, os achados angiotomográficos de 65 pacientes com diagnóstico de COVID-19. A amostra incluiu 27 mulheres e 38 homens, com idade entre 20 e 86 anos (mediana de 52 anos). O diagnóstico de COVID-19 foi estabelecido por meio de teste molecular RT-PCR para SARS-CoV-2.
Resultados: O sinal das irregularidades parietais vasculares foi observado em 50 dos 65 pacientes com COVID-19 (76,9%), sendo predominantemente misto (arterial e venoso) (n = 43/50; 86%), subsegmentar (n = 50/50; 100%) e segmentar (n = 13/50; 26%), bilateral (n = 46/50; 92%), comprometendo de 4 ou 5 lobos (n = 35/50; 70%) e, principalmente, encontrado no lobo inferior direito (n = 46/50; 92%), seguido do lobo inferior esquerdo (n = 44/50; 88%).
Conclusão: O sinal das irregularidades parietais vasculares é um sinal bastante frequente de comprometimento vascular em pacientes com COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; Tomography; Vascular diseases; Virus diseases; X-ray computed..