Rapid On-Site Pathology Visualization of COVID-19 Characteristics Using Higher Harmonic Generation Microscopy

Van Huizen et al present the case of a 61-year-old man without a relevant past medical history presented with cough and dyspnea and tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by PCR testing. Twelve days after disease onset, his condition deteriorated clinically, with respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. After 16 days of mechanical ventilation, he died of COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome. Twenty hours after the time of death, an autopsy was performed. Pathologists were able to identify COVID-19 characteristics, including inflammation with septal leukocyte infiltration, alveolar architecture distortion, and fibrosis with alveolar septa thickening due to an increased amount of collagen.