Chest CT and Xenon MRI at 5 Years Show Stable Residual Lung Injury After COVID-19 Pneumonia

Five years after COVID-19 pneumonia, 35.6% of survivors had residual CT lesions and 25.5% had abnormal diffusing capacity, with no change in symptoms, function, or CT findings between 2 and 5 years.

• Hyperpolarized xenon-129 MRI ventilation defect percentage and parametric response mapping measures of small airway disease and emphysema differed significantly between survivors and controls (all P ≤ .01), with greatest impairment in severe COVID-19.
• Prespecified 2- to 5-year comparison showed no evidence of worsening in respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function, or conventional CT abnormalities (all P ≥ .67).

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