Radiological changes in the thymus in patients who have had COVID-19 and in vaccinated persons who have not had COVID-19: a CT study.

Abstract

There are very few and limited studies on the role of the thymus in COVID-19 infection. It is known that thymus morphology changes in individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 although they do not have active infection. Our study aims to evaluate these differences in detail. This research was conducted in atotal of 141 people, 75women and 66men. The research consisted of three groups: unvaccinated persons who have had the disease (n = 49), vaccinated persons who have not had the disease (n = 37), and unvaccinated persons who have not had the disease (control group, n = 55). In the study, the thymus volume, structure, and fat content were investigated and the differences between groups were evaluated. Thymus volume was greatest (0.43 ± 0.11) in the vaccinated group that had not had the disease and smallest (0.15 ± 0.07) in the unvaccinated group that had had the disease, and asignificant difference was found between the groups. Thymus steatosis was seen mostly in the unvaccinated group that had had the disease (72%; p = 0.04). The diffuse nodular pattern was only present in the diseased group. This research is the first study in the literature to date on the effect of COVID-19 and vaccines on the thymus. In addition to the acute consequences of the virus, the possibility of negative symptoms after COVID-19 should also be kept in mind, especially in unvaccinated people. Further studies are needed to confirm the results reported herein.