Chest Computed Tomographic Imaging Findings and Clinical Criteria of COVID-19 in Zagazig University Hospitals, Egypt

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 pneumonia patients have variant prognosis and mortality. A great concern should be given to the clinical and imaging characteristics of those patients, As a result,the aim of current research was to identify clinical, laboratory, and chest computed tomography results in confirmed COVID -19 patients, as well as to compare severe patients to non-severe groups. Methods: In a retrospective cross-sectional analysis, 169 confirmed COVID-19 individuals were enrolled. Computerized medical reports and images were used. Results: The enrolled individuals were classified into asymptomatic: 2 patients (1.2%), mild: 33 patients (19.5%), moderate: 103 patients (60.9%) and severe: 31 patients (18.3%). Fever, cough, shortness of breath were significantly more frequent symptoms in severely infected COVID patients (p=0.001). Moreover, a highly significant decrease in SPO2(p=0.00), a remarkable increase in WBCs (p=0.002), and a significant increase in CRP and Ferritin were detected in that group (p=0.00). The chest “high resolution computed tomography findings were associated with multiple lesions in both lungs and more GGO with consolidation (p < 0.05). Crazy pavement, septal thickening, and subpleural thickening were also significantly presented in severe COVID pneumonia rather than other groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Occurrence of clinical factors including aging, cough, fever, dyspnea, comorbidities, hypoxemia, increased WBCs, increased CRP, and ferritin were more prevalent in severe COVID-19 pneumonia. GGO with consolidation and Septal thickening were independent predictors of COVID pneumonia severity findings in HRCT.The use of computed tomography in the diagnosis and assessment of illness severity is crucial.Keywords: COVID-19, Chest high resolution computed tomography , Ground Glass Opacities (GGO).