[A clinicopathological study on 3 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To study the pathological characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and its relationship to clinical manifestation.


METHODS
Tissue specimens from 3 autopsy cases of diagnosed SARS were studied under microscopy and the clinical data were reviewed.


RESULTS
The typical pathological changes of lungs were diffuse hemorrhage on surface. A mixture features of serous, fibrinous and hemorrhagic inflammation were seen in most pulmonary alveoli with engorgement of capillary and there were microthrombosis in some capillary. Pulmonary alveoli became thick with interstitial mononuclear inflammatory infiltration, diffused alveoli damage, desquamation of pneumocytes and hyaline-membrane formation. Fibrinoid materials and erythrocytes could be found in alveolar spaces. There were thrombo-embolisms in some bronchial artery. Meanwhile, haemorrhagic necrosis was showed in lymph nodes and spleen with attenuation of lymphocytes. Other atypical pathological changes, such as hydropic degeneration, fatty degeneration, interstitial cell proliferation and some lesions observed in liver, heart, kidney, pancreas may have existed before the hospitalization.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe damages of pulmonary and immunological system damage are responsible for clinical features of SARS and may lead to death of patients.
Lang
Zhen-wei
ZW
Department of Pathology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100054, China.
Zhang
Li-jie
LJ
Zhang
Shi-jie
SJ
Meng
Xin
X
Li
Jun-qiang
JQ
Song
Chen-zhao
CZ
Sun
Lin
L
Zhou
Yu-sen
YS
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology