Low-field MRI lung opacity severity associated with decreased DLCO in post-acute Covid-19 patients

Objectives

To evaluate the clinical significance of low-field MRI lung opacity severity.

Methods

Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of post-acute Covid-19 patients imaged with low-field MRI from 9/2020 through 9/2022, and within 1 month of pulmonary function tests (PFTs), 6-min walk test (6mWT), and symptom inventory (SI), and/or within 3 months of St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was performed.

Univariate and correlative analyses were performed with Wilcoxon, Chi-square, and Spearman tests. The association between disease and demographic factors and MR opacity severity, PFTs, 6mWT, SI, and SGRQ, and association between MR opacity severity with functional and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), was evaluated with mixed model analysis of variance, covariance and generalized estimating equations. Two-sided 5 % significance level was used, with Bonferroni multiple comparison correction.

Results

81 MRI exams in 62 post-acute Covid-19 patients (median age 57, IQR 41–64; 25 women) were included. Exams were a median of 8 months from initial illness. Univariate analysis showed lung opacity severity was associated with decreased %DLCO (ρ = −0.55, P = .0125), and lung opacity severity quartile was associated with decreased %DLCO, predicted TLC, FVC, and increased FEV1/FVC.

Multivariable analysis adjusting for sex, initial disease severity, and interval from Covid-19 diagnosis showed MR lung opacity severity was associated with decreased %DLCO (P < .001). Lung opacity severity was not associated with PROs.

Conclusion

Low-field MRI lung opacity severity correlated with decreased %DLCO in post-acute Covid-19 patients, but was not associated with PROs.