Vein wall thickness and severity of pulmonary involvement due to sars n-cov2 virus infection

• DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04857-w
• Publication Date: 2024-01-17T17:34:48Z
• Authors: Gennaro Quarto; Giacomo Benassai; Annamaria Colao; Antonio Cittadini; Paolo Antonio Asc...; Rosario Pivonello; Andrea Elefante; Marialuisa Bocchino; Alberto Maria Marra; Ivan Gentile; Gianluca Benassai; Andrea Miletti; Francesca Calemma; Ermenegildo Furino; ; Cristina Angelis; Davide Menafra; Francesco Garifalos; Giovanni Domenico...; Maria Carmela Ann...; Maria Teresa Cant...; Paola Nappa; Marina Vastarella; Chiara Simeoli; Michele Castoro; Nunzia Verde; Agnese Giaccone; Laura Reynaud; Antonio Riccardo ...; Biagio Pinchera; Chiara Graziadio; Emanuele Filice; Roberta Modica; Rosa Pirchio; Federica Giardino; Roberta D’Assante; Ivo Iavicoli; Luca Fontana; Veruscka Leso; Caterina Nocera; Guido Iaccarino; Antonio Bianco; Eugenio Vaia; Fiore Manganelli; Lucia Ruggiero; Dario Zoppi; Fabio Tortora; Sirio Cocozza; Mario Tortora; Giovanna Muscogiuri; Luigi Barrea; Claudia Vetrani; Alessandro Sanduz...; Anna Buonocore; Lorena Gallotti; Mauro Mormile; Andrea Bartolomeis; Felice Iasevoli; Annarita Barone; Simone Maurea; Arnaldo Stanzione; Martina Caruso; Claudia Bombace; Maria Triassi; Maddalena Illario; Lorenzo Mercurio; Vincenzo de Luca
• Keywords: Male; Research; R; COVID-19; ARDS; COVID-19; Chronic venous disease; Chronic venous insufficiency; Vein wall thickness; Chronic venous insufficiency; Veins; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Chronic venous disease; Medicine; Humans; ARDS; Female; Vein wall thickness; Lung; Ultrasonography

Abstract Background An observational study involving patients recovered from COVID-19 was conducted in order to evaluate the presence/absence of vein wall thickness increasing, according to the severity of pulmonary involvement quantified with a CT-scoring system.

Methods The venous wall thickness (VWT) of 31 patients (23 males and 8 females) with COVID 19 previously admitted to Federico II University Hospital of Naples was evaluated through ultrasound measurement of the common femoral Vein 1 cm proximal to the saphenous-femoral junction and the popliteal Vein 1 cm distal to the confluence of gemellary veins. Measurements were taken with an automated tool to avoid human error. All patients were evaluated in the supine position. Patients were then stratified into two groups, VWT > 1 mm and VWT < 1 mm. Lung damage was assessed through thoracic High Resolution Computer Tomography and subsequently quantified using the scoring system set out by Chung et al. CEAP-C class was calculated for all patients.

Results The mean value of COVID score in VWT > 1 mm group was 7.4 (S.D. 4.83), whilst the mean value of the COVID score in the VWT < 1 mm group was 3.82 (S.D 3.34). These findings were determined to be statistically significant in a two-tie Student-T test. The linear regression test between VWT and Covid score values demonstrated a direct relationship between the two variables.

Conclusion These results demonstrate a link between two different aspects of the pathological effects on the vessels during a SARS-COV 2 infection. As such a common primum movens can be hypothesized in both micro-thrombotic and inflammatory processes relating to COVID 19.