Pathological Study on Autopsy Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Beijing

摘要

Background Since March, 2003,a communicable disease called severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been outbreak in Beijing. We report the pathological features from autopsy patients of SARS and discuss the relationship between pathological changes and clinical manifestation. Methods We got autopsy specimens from 3 died patients diagnosed SARS clinically in Youan Hospital, Beijing in the period of 28, March to 9th , May 2003. The pathological changes were studied by microscopy and the clinical data were reviewed. Results The typical pathological changes of lungs were diffuse hemorrhage on surface. The features of serious, fibrinous and hemorrhagic inflammation were been seen in most pulmonary alveoli with engorgement of capillary and there were microthrombosis in some capillary. Pulmonary alveoli became thickness with interstitial mononuclear inflammatory infiltrates, diffuse alveolar damage, desquamation of pneumocytes and hyaline - membrane formation, fibrinoid materials, erythrocytes in alveolar spaces. There were thrombo - embolisms in some bronchial artery. Meanwhile, haemorrhagic necrosis was showed in lymph nodes and spleen with attenuation of lymphocyte. Other atypical pathological changes, such as hydropic degeneration, fatty degeneration, interstitial cell proliferation and some lesions having existed in this hospitalization before were observed in liver,heart,kidney,pancreas. Conclusion Severe damages of pulmonary and immunological system damage are responsible for clinical features of SARS and may lead to death of patients.