{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Prevalence and 3-month follow-up of cerebrovascular MRI markers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: the CORONIS study.
{Author}: van Lith TJ;Sluis WM;Wijers NT;Meijer FJA;Ulzen KK;de Bresser J;Dankbaar JW;de Mast Q;Klok FA;Cannegieter SC;Wermer MJH;Huisman MV;Tuladhar AM;van der Worp HB;de Leeuw FE;
{Journal}: Neuroradiology
{Volume}: 66
{Issue}: 9
{Year}: 2024 Sep 2
{Factor}: 2.995
{DOI}: 10.1007/s00234-024-03411-1
{Abstract}: <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To investigate the prevalence of cerebrovascular MRI markers in unselected patients hospitalized for COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019), we compared these with healthy controls without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection or hospitalization and subsequently, investigated longitudinal (incidental) lesions in patients after three months.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>CORONIS (CORONavirus and Ischemic Stroke) was an observational cohort study in adult hospitalized patients for COVID-19 and controls without COVID-19, conducted between April 2021 and September 2022. Brain MRI was performed shortly after discharge and after 3 months. Outcomes included recent ischemic (DWI-positive) lesions, previous infarction, microbleeds, white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and intracerebral hemorrhage and were analysed with logistic regression to adjust for confounders.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>125 patients with COVID-19 and 47 controls underwent brain MRI a median of 41.5 days after symptom onset. DWI-positive lesions were found in one patient (1%) and in one (2%) control, both clinically silent. WMH were more prevalent in patients (78%) than in controls (62%) (adjusted OR: 2.95 [95% CI: 1.07-8.57]), other cerebrovascular MRI markers did not differ. Prevalence of markers in ICU vs. non-ICU patients was similar. After three months, five patients (5%) had new cerebrovascular lesions, including DWI-positive lesions (1 patient, 1.0%), cerebral infarction (2 patients, 2.0%) and microbleeds (3 patients, 3.1%).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Overall, we found no higher prevalence of cerebrovascular markers in unselected hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to controls. The few incident DWI-lesions were most likely to be explained by risk-factors of small vessel disease. In the general hospitalized COVID-19 population, COVID-19 shows limited impact on cerebrovascular MRI markers shortly after hospitalization.