Imaging Features of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Evaluation on Thin-Section CT

• Published in: Academic radiology Vol. 27; no. 5; p. 609
• Main Authors: Guan, Chun Shuang, Lv, Zhi Bin, Yan, Shuo, Du, Yan Ni, Chen, Hui, Wei, Lian Gui, Xie, Ru Ming, Chen, Bu Dong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2020
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Coronavirus Infections - diagnostic imaging; COVID-19; Disease Progression; Early Diagnosis; Female; Humans; Infant; Lung - diagnostic imaging; Lung - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Multidetector Computed Tomography - methods; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnostic imaging; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult; Pneumonia; Coronavirus; Lung; Multidetector computed tomography
• ISSN: 1878-4046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2020.03.002

To retrospectively analyze the chest imaging findings in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on thin-section CT. Fifty-three patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection underwent thin-section CT examination. Two chest radiologists independently evaluated the imaging in terms of distribution, ground-glass opacity (GGO), consolidation, air bronchogram, stripe, enlarged mediastinal lymph node, and pleural effusion. Fourty-seven cases (88.7%) had findings of COVID-19 infection, and the other six (11.3%) were normal. Among the 47 cases, 78.7% involved both lungs, and 93.6% had peripheral infiltrates distributed along the subpleural area. All cases showed GGO, 59.6% of which were round and 40.4% patchy. Other imaging features included "crazy-paving pattern" (89.4%), consolidation (63.8%), and air bronchogram (76.6%). Air bronchograms were observed within GGO (61.7%) and consolidation (70.3%). Neither enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes nor pleural effusion were present. Thirty-three patients (62.3%) were followed an average interval of 6.2 ± 2.9 days. The lesions increased in 75.8% and resorbed in 24.2% of patients. COVID-19 showed the pulmonary lesions in patients infected with COVID-19 were predominantly distributed peripherally in the subpleural area.