ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Br J Biomed Sci
Volume 82 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/bjbs.2025.14489
This article is part of the Special IssueLong COVID in the Biomedical SciencesView all 3 articles
Carotid body size on CT Angiography in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia
- Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital, Ataşehir, Türkiye
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Purpose: Many pathophysiological theories have been expressed regarding increased sympathetic activity along with respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. In addition, the carotid bodies, which are directly related to increased blood oxygen levels and sympathetic activity, are known to be very rich in the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which the COVID-19 causative virus uses to enter the cell. Therefore, the probability of carotid bodies being affected in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia is quite high. Carotid bodies can be visualized with contrast-enhanced CT angiography (CTA), and we aimed to visualize possible carotid body enlargement in COVID-19 patients with CTA.We retrospectively evaluated patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia during the pandemic in our hospital and who had CTA examinations at least three months after treatment. We drew a Region of Interest (ROI) from the periphery of both carotid bodies and measured the area from the widest part. Similarly, measurements were taken in the control group without a history of COVID-19, and the results of the two groups were compared statistically.We performed measurements on CTA images of 104 control subjects and 108 patients. The total carotid body area of the patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was 4.9 ± 3.7 mm2, and the carotid body area of the control group was 3.7 ± 2.4 mm2. In comparing the two groups, the carotid body area was found to be statistically significantly larger (p <0.05) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.The size of the carotid body was found to be larger in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia compared to the control group. This finding may indicate conditions that lead to the activation of carotid body chemo and baroreceptors, such as increased sympathetic activity and a decrease in blood oxygen pressure in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.Apart from this, it may also be possible for the carotid body to be directly infected with the virus. More specific studies that shed light on this aspect are needed.
Keywords: Carotid body, Covid-19, Pneumonia, computed tomography angiography, Sympathetic Nervous System
Received: 13 Feb 2025; Accepted: 08 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Goksu, Vural and Kahraman. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ahmet Vural, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital, Ataşehir, Türkiye
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