A Fatal Case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus Infection in South Korea: Chest Radiography and CT Findings

Abstract

A major outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) was first reported in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2012 to 2014 (1). The computed tomography (CT) images of patients in Saudi Arabia predominantly showed ground-glass opacity, mostly in the lower peripheral lobes of the lungs (2). On May 20, 2015, the first case of MERS-CoV infection was reported in South Korea. A subsequent major outbreak in health care settings caused the disease to spread nationwide. Concerns over this outbreak were heightened, owing to a novel MERSCoV with the potential to rapidly disseminate from person to person and devastate the lungs. Herein, we described the radiologic appearance of a fatal case of a novel MERS-CoV infection. The Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB) determined that our case report was exempt from IRB review on June 30, 2015.