COVID-19 MRI

MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of COVID-19 complications. Findings on cardiac MRI suggestive of COVID-19 include myocardial edema, scarring, fibrosis, impaired RV function, impaired LV function (reduced ejection fraction), biventricular hypokinesis, late gadolinium enhancement, increased wall thickness, pericardial effusion. Findings on an lung MRI suggestive of pulmonary complications associated with COVID-19 include cloudy sky sign, parenchyma compaction, consolidation, pleural effusion, lung infiltrations with peripheral preference. Findings on an Brain MRI suggestive of neurologic complications associated with COVID-19 include signal abnormalities located in the medial temporal lobe, non-confluent multifocal white matter hyperintense lesions on FLAIR and diffusion sequences, extensive and isolated white matter micro-hemorrhages, intra-cerebral hemorrhagic lesions. Findings on an spine MRI suggestive of neurologic complications associated with COVID-19 include widespread elongated signal changes throughout the gray matter of spinal cord ( Acute transverse myelitis), caudal nerve roots enhanced (Guillain-Barre syndrome).

• Cardiac MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of cardiac complications associated with COVID-19.^[1]
• A german observational study of 100 clinically recovered COVID-19 patients published on the 27th of July 2020,^[2] showed that cardiac MRI depicted cardiac sequelae in 78 patients and continuing myocardial inflammation in 60 patients.
• Findings on an cardiac MRI suggestive of cardiac complications associated with COVID-19 include:^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]}
  • Myocardial edema
  • Scarring
  • Fibrosis
  • Impaired RV function
  • Impaired LV function (reduced ejection fraction)
  • Biventricular hypokinesis
  • Late gadolinium enhancement
  • Increased wall thickness
  • Pericardial effusion

• Lung MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of pulmonary complications associated with COVID-19.
• Findings on an lung MRI suggestive of pulmonary complications associated with COVID-19 include: ^[11][12]
  • Cloudy sky sign
  • Parenchyma compaction
  • Consolidation
  • Pleural effusion
  • Lung infiltrations with peripheral preference

• Brain MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of neurologic complications associated with COVID-19.
• Findings on an Brain MRI suggestive of neurologic complications associated with COVID-19 include:^[13]
  • Signal abnormalities located in the medial temporal lobe
  • Non-confluent multifocal white matter hyperintense lesions on FLAIR and diffusion sequences
  • Extensive and isolated white mattern micro-hemorrhages
  • Intra-cerebral hemorrhagic lesions

• Spine MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of neurologic complications associated with COVID-19.
• Findings on an spine MRI suggestive of neurologic complications associated with COVID-19 include:^[14][15]
  • Widespread elongated signal changes throughout the gray matter of spinal cord ( Acute Transverse Myelitis)
  • Caudal nerve roots enhanced (Guillain-Barre syndrome)