MEDIASTINAL LYMPHADENOPATHY AS A PREDICTOR OF WORSE OUTCOME IN SEVERE COVID-19 CASES

Background: This cross-sectional study is aimed at evaluating the association of mediastinal lymphadenopathy with COVID-19 prognosis in severe cases. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Pakistan, from June to July 2020. Methods: One hundred and fifty (150) laboratory-confirmed SARS CoV-2 infected, severe cases in Intensive Care Unit/ High Dependency Unit were included. These cases were divided into two categories, i.e., with and without mediastinal lymphadenopathy on High Resolution Computed Tomography chest. The two categories were compared on the basis of data obtained including age, gender, comorbid, White Blood Cell count, lymphocyte count, median days of hospitalization, need for invasive ventilation, Intensive Care Unit admission, clinical outcome and High-Resolution Computed Tomography chest findings. The data was compiled on a questionnaire and analysed on SPSS 24. Result: Total 155 severe COVID-19 patients were reviewed, out of which 36 (23.2%) had mediastinal lymphadenopathy (category 1) and 119 (76.8%) had no mediastinal lymphadenopathy (category 2). Laboratory findings including median of white blood cells and lymphocyte percentage had no significant change in both categories. Intensive care unit admissions were 12 (33.3%) and 56 (47.1%) in category 1 and 2 respectively. Median days of hospitalization (8 days) and mortality rate (16%) were almost the same in both categories. Conclusion: Our study concludes that presence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in severe COVID-19 cases is not associated with worse outcome. However, overall prevalence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in severe cases is high (23.2%).