Follow-up computed tomography scan in post-COVID-19 pneumonia.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic can be a severe illness that leads to morbidity and mortality. With the increasing number of COVID-19 pneumonia survivors, several long-term changes may persist, including abnormal imaging of lung parenchyma. In addition to the clinical course, it is vital to follow up on pulmonary imaging during the post-infectious period, which is not routinely required in other common pulmonary diagnoses. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest is an effective and diagnostic tool for pneumonia which gives an insight into structural abnormalities within the lungs, complications, and possible progression of the disease. Several studies have monitored COVID-19 pneumonia and its complications using serial CT chest imaging from the initial phase of infection, hospitalization, and post-discharge. Nonetheless, long-term follow-up imaging data in post-COVID-19 is still limited. We have summarized the findings utilizing a systematic review of the literature regarding COVID-19 pneumonia imaging, including long-term follow-up.