Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Background: Consistency among clinical symptoms, laboratory results and autopsy findings can be a quality measure in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There have been classic clinical cases that have met the case definition of COVID-19 but real-time reverse-transcription polymera...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2020-11-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Laboratory Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/1290 |
| _version_ | 1817987532702351360 |
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| author | Seth A. Attoh Frederick Hobenu Lawrence Edusei Kwasi Agyeman-Bediako Clement T. Laryea Edward O. Nyarko Michael K. Amedi Richard H. Asmah Edward Asumanu Mary McAddy Anthony Maison Godwin Nyarko Raymond D. Fatchu Kafui Akakpo |
| author_facet | Seth A. Attoh Frederick Hobenu Lawrence Edusei Kwasi Agyeman-Bediako Clement T. Laryea Edward O. Nyarko Michael K. Amedi Richard H. Asmah Edward Asumanu Mary McAddy Anthony Maison Godwin Nyarko Raymond D. Fatchu Kafui Akakpo |
| author_sort | Seth A. Attoh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Consistency among clinical symptoms, laboratory results and autopsy findings can be a quality measure in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There have been classic clinical cases that have met the case definition of COVID-19 but real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) tests of nasopharyngeal swabs were negative.
Objectives: This study aimed to share pathological observations of autopsies performed at the 37 Military Hospital’s Department of Anatomical Pathology on three presumed COVID-19 cases in Accra, Ghana.
Method: Complete autopsies with detailed gross and histopathological analysis were conducted between April 2020 and May 2020 on three suspected COVID-19 cases, of which two had initial negative (rRT-PCR) nasopharyngeal tests. Postmortem bronchopulmonary samples of two cases were collected and tested by rRT-PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Results: The two postmortem bronchopulmonary samples tested for SARS-CoV-2 by rRT-PCR were positive. Though no postmortem bronchopulmonary sample was taken from the third case, a close contact tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in later contact tracing. For all three cases, lung histopathological findings were consistent with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
Conclusion: The outcome of COVID-19 testing is dependent on the sample type and accuracy of sampling amongst other factors. Histopathological findings vary and may be dependent on a patient’s modifying factors, as well as the duration of infection. More autopsies are required to fully understand the pathogenesis of this disease in Ghanaians. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T00:23:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2c7aeca267ba4be18fc89ad4ab8c1e57 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2225-2002 2225-2010 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T00:23:32Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Laboratory Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-2c7aeca267ba4be18fc89ad4ab8c1e572022-12-22T02:22:52ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Laboratory Medicine2225-20022225-20102020-11-0191e1e810.4102/ajlm.v9i1.1290287Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, GhanaSeth A. Attoh0Frederick Hobenu1Lawrence Edusei2Kwasi Agyeman-Bediako3Clement T. Laryea4Edward O. Nyarko5Michael K. Amedi6Richard H. Asmah7Edward Asumanu8Mary McAddy9Anthony Maison10Godwin Nyarko11Raymond D. Fatchu12Kafui Akakpo13J.M. Wadhwani Department of Anatomical Pathology, 37 Military Hospital, AccraJ.M. Wadhwani Department of Anatomical Pathology, 37 Military Hospital, AccraDepartment of Pathology, Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, AccraJ.M. Wadhwani Department of Anatomical Pathology, 37 Military Hospital, AccraDepartment of Medicine, 37 Military Hospital, AccraPublic Health Division, 37 Military Hospital, AccraDepartment of Radiology, 37 Military Hospital, AccraDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of Allied Health Sciences, HoDepartment of Surgery, 37 Military Hospital, AccraJ.M. Wadhwani Department of Anatomical Pathology, 37 Military Hospital, AccraJ.M. Wadhwani Department of Anatomical Pathology, 37 Military Hospital, AccraJ.M. Wadhwani Department of Anatomical Pathology, 37 Military Hospital, AccraJ.M. Wadhwani Department of Anatomical Pathology, 37 Military Hospital, AccraDepartment of Pathology, University of Cape Coast, Cape CoastBackground: Consistency among clinical symptoms, laboratory results and autopsy findings can be a quality measure in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There have been classic clinical cases that have met the case definition of COVID-19 but real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) tests of nasopharyngeal swabs were negative. Objectives: This study aimed to share pathological observations of autopsies performed at the 37 Military Hospital’s Department of Anatomical Pathology on three presumed COVID-19 cases in Accra, Ghana. Method: Complete autopsies with detailed gross and histopathological analysis were conducted between April 2020 and May 2020 on three suspected COVID-19 cases, of which two had initial negative (rRT-PCR) nasopharyngeal tests. Postmortem bronchopulmonary samples of two cases were collected and tested by rRT-PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Results: The two postmortem bronchopulmonary samples tested for SARS-CoV-2 by rRT-PCR were positive. Though no postmortem bronchopulmonary sample was taken from the third case, a close contact tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in later contact tracing. For all three cases, lung histopathological findings were consistent with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Conclusion: The outcome of COVID-19 testing is dependent on the sample type and accuracy of sampling amongst other factors. Histopathological findings vary and may be dependent on a patient’s modifying factors, as well as the duration of infection. More autopsies are required to fully understand the pathogenesis of this disease in Ghanaians.https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/1290covid-19autopsypostmortem diagnosisfalse-negativeghana |
| spellingShingle | Seth A. Attoh Frederick Hobenu Lawrence Edusei Kwasi Agyeman-Bediako Clement T. Laryea Edward O. Nyarko Michael K. Amedi Richard H. Asmah Edward Asumanu Mary McAddy Anthony Maison Godwin Nyarko Raymond D. Fatchu Kafui Akakpo Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana African Journal of Laboratory Medicine covid-19 autopsy postmortem diagnosis false-negative ghana |
| title | Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana |
| title_full | Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana |
| title_short | Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana |
| title_sort | postmortem diagnosis of covid 19 antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 military hospital accra ghana |
| topic | covid-19 autopsy postmortem diagnosis false-negative ghana |
| url | https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/1290 |
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