TY - JOUR T1 - Lung volume and density assessment over time in hospitalized COVID-19 patients JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.LSC-2022.199 VL - 8 IS - suppl 8 SP - 199 AU - Vincent Geudens AU - Jan Van Slambrouck AU - Gitte Aerts AU - Lynn Willems AU - Tinne Goos AU - Janne Kaes AU - Iwein Gyselinck AU - Celine Aelbrecht AU - Astrid Vermaut AU - Hanne Beeckmans AU - Marie Vermant AU - Charlotte De Fays AU - Annelore Sacreas AU - Lucia Aversa AU - Michaela Orlitova AU - Arno Vanstapel AU - John E. Mcdonough AU - Charles Pilette AU - Wim Janssens AU - Wim A. Wuyts AU - Dirk E. Van Raemdonck AU - Robin Vos AU - Ghislaine Gayan-Ramirez AU - Laurens J. Ceulemans AU - Bart M. Vanaudenaerde Y1 - 2022/03/10 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/8/suppl_8/199.abstract N2 - COVID-19 can have a devastating effect on the lungs, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which, when not resolved, may progress to pulmonary fibrosis potentially leading to death or transplantation (LTx). We aim to describe the progression of COVID-19 ARDS and fibrosis on lung volume and density over time in vivo and ex vivo using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and µCT.Volume and density of in vivo HRCT scans of 3 COVID-19 patients (P) were assessed over time (P1: 4 scans; P2: 5 scans; P3: 3 scans). After LTx (n=2) or autopsy (n=1) (65.3±26.7 days), explanted right lungs were inflated to total lung capacity, frozen and scanned with whole lung µCT. Lung volumes and density were calculated using Mimics Innovation Suite (Materialise, Belgium). Three discarded donor lungs were used as controls.In vivo lung volume decreased 4 days after symptom onset compared to 1 control and 1 COVID-19 patient before infection, with a steep decline in the first 20 days followed by a more gradual decline. Ex vivo volume of COVID-19 lungs decreased by 60% compared to ex vivo controls (4.2±0.3 vs 1.7±0.5 L; p<0.0058) (fig 1a,b). Volume reduction might be caused by fibroproliferative obliteration of alveolar ducts and spaces as reflected by the increase in density over time (fig 1c).COVID-19 affects lung volume and density rapidly over time, indicating the potential to follow up these parameters to monitor severely ill patients. FootnotesCite this article as ERJ Open Research 2022; 8: Suppl. 8, 199.This article was presented at the 2022 ERS Lung Science Conference, in session “Poster Session 2”.This is an ERS Lung Science Conference abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only). ER -