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Background Post-Covid-19 condition describes symptoms following COVID-19 infection after four weeks. Symptoms are wide-ranging but breathlessness is common. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether the previously described lung abnormalities on Hp-XeMRI in post-hospitalised COVID-19 participants are also present in non-hospitalised participants with Post-Covid-19 condition. Methods In this prospective study, non-hospitalised Post-Covid-19 condition (NHLC) and post-hospitalised COVID-19 (PHC) participants were enrolled from 06/2020 to 08/2021. Participants had chest CT, hyperpolarized pulmonary 129Xenon MRI (Hp-XeMRI), pulmonary function tests, 1-minute sit-to-stand test and breathlessness questionnaires. Control subjects underwent HP-XeMRI only. CT scans were analysed for post COVID interstitial lung disease severity using a previously published scoring system, and Full-scale Airway Network (FAN) modelling. Analysis used group and pair-wise comparisons between participants and controls, and correlations between participant clinical and imaging data. Results A total of 11 NHLC (4:7 Male: Female, 44 ± 11 years, [37-50], (mean ± SD, [95% CI]) and 12 PHC (10:2, Male: Female, 58 ± 10 years, [52-64]) participants were included, with a significant difference in age between groups, p = 0.05. NHLC participants were 287 ± 79, [240-334] and PHC 143 ± 72, [105-190] days from infection, respectively. NHLC and PHC participants had normal or near normal CT scans (0.3/25 ± 0.6, [0-0.63] and 7/25 ± 5, [4-10], respectively). Gas transfer (DLco (%)) was different between NHLC and PHC participants (76 ± 8%, [73-83] vs 86 ± 8%, [80-91] respectively, p = 0.04) but there was no evidence of other differences in lung function. Red Blood Cell:Tissue Plasma (RBC:TP) mean was different between volunteers vs PHC (0.45 ± 0.07, [0.43-0.47] vs (0.31 ± 0.10, [0.24-0.37], respectively, p = 0.02) and volunteers vs NHLC (0.37 ± 0.10, [0.31-0.44], p = 0.03) participants, but not between NHLC and PHC participants (p = 0.26). FAN results did not correlate with DLco or Hp- XeMRI. Conclusion NHLC and PHC subjects showed Hp-XeMRI RBC:TP abnormalities, with NHLC participants demonstrating lower DLco than PHC participants despite having normal CT scans. See also the editorial by Parraga and Matheson.

Original publication

DOI

10.1148/radiol.220069

Type

Journal article

Journal

Radiology

Publication Date

24/05/2022