CT findings of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2

Xiaoyang Wang,Qing Jia,Liang Hong,Chenbin Liu,Jiguang Ding,Qingfeng Sun,Cuiyun Yuan,Wenxian Peng,Gangqiang Sun

doi:10.1186/s12880-020-00471-6

Abstract

BackgroundWe aimed to describe the chest CT findings in sixty-seven patients infected by Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 67 patients hospitalized in Ruian People’s Hospital. All the patients received the positive diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The CT and clinical data were collected between January 23rd, 2020 and February 10th, 2020. The CT images were analyzed by the senior radiologists.ResultsThere are 54 patients with positive CT findings and 13 patients with negative CT findings. The typical CT findings in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were ground glass opacities (42/54), lesions located in the peripheral area (50/54), multiple lesions (46/54), and lesions located in the lower lobes (42/54). There were less typical CT findings, including air bronchogram (18/54), pleural thickening or pleural effusion (14/54), consolidation (12/54), lesions in the upper lobes (12/54), interlobular septal thickening (11/54), reversed halo sign (9/54), single lesion (8/54), air cavities (4/54), bronchial wall thickening (3/54), and intrathoracic lymph node enlargement (2/54).ConclusionsCT features can play an important role in the early diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19 patients.

Highlights

We aimed to describe the chest computed tomography (CT) findings in sixty-seven patients infected by Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
In February 2020, an increased number of patients infected with this severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were reported around the world
The typical CT findings in patients infected by SARS were ground glass opacities [9]

Summary

Introduction

We aimed to describe the chest CT findings in sixty-seven patients infected by Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). All the patients received the positive diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In February 2020, an increased number of patients infected with this severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were reported around the world. Most clinical studies focused on clinical and epidemiological features of the patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 [4, 5]. Coronaviruses may produce specific features in chest CT images, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) [6,7,8,9]. The most common CT findings in patients infected with MERSCoV was subpleural and basilar airspace changes [8]. A chest CT scan was widely used in the diagnosis and follow-up evaluation of patients

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