Neuroimaging Findings of Brain Computed Tomography And Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Covid-19 Patients:   Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Neuroimaging Findings of Brain in Covid-19 Patients

Muhammad  Mubeen; Syed Muhammad Yousaf  Farooq; Syeda Khadija-Tul- Sughra; Ahmed  Ishfaq; Syed Amir  Gilani; Syed Arsalan  Gilani; Aafia  Kiran

doi:10.54393/pbmj.v5i4.371

Authors

Muhammad Mubeen University Institute of Radiological Sciences and Medical Imaging Technology, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
Syed Muhammad Yousaf Farooq University Institute of Radiological Sciences and Medical Imaging Technology, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
Syeda Khadija-Tul- Sughra University Institute of Radiological Sciences and Medical Imaging Technology, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
Ahmed Ishfaq Diagnostic Radiology Department, The Children’s Hospital and The Institute of the Child Health, Lahore, Pakistan
Syed Amir Gilani University Institute of Radiological Sciences and Medical Imaging Technology, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
Syed Arsalan Gilani Department of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
Aafia Kiran Diagnostic Radiology Department, The Children’s Hospital and The Institute of the Child Health, Lahore, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v5i4.371

Keywords:

2019-nCoV, COVID-19, neuroimaging, brain CT, brain MRI

Abstract

Novel Corona virus-2019 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading in continents around the globe and effective treatment has yet not been developed against this novel infection. The victims of COVID-19 tend to develop abnormal neuroimaging features on brain-CT and MRI Imaging. Objective: To assess the incidences of abnormal neuroimaging features in the sufferers of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: PubMed, Science Direct. Research Gate, Medline and Google Scholar were searched till 28th March 2021 to highlight the incidences of abnormal neuroimaging features in the sufferers of SARS-CoV-2 infection. After screening of literature, only twenty-one (21) articles were included. All data extracted from them was further analysed through meta-analysis. Results: Twenty-one (21) eligible articles with one thousand six hundred and forty-four (1644) verified COVID-19 patients were included. The average age of SARS-CoV-2 patients is 65.20 years with 67.1% males and 32.9% females. Brain CT scan (46.2%), brain MRI (41.3%) and both brain CT and brain MRI (12.5%) were used to detect neuroimaging features. The pooled incidences of acute or sub-acute infarctions were most common (25.88%), followed by cerebral micro-bleed (20.05%), encephalitis/encephalopathy (14.53%), and acute spontaneous non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhages (7.55%). Conclusions: The current systematic review concluded that during the spread of the current COVID-19 pandemic, many SARS-CoV-2 patients manifested neurologic symptoms. Out of these neurological manifestations, acute or sub-acute infarction and cerebral micro-bleed are most common.

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