Focal Ground-glass Opacity Research Articles

P024 Dermatomyositis, a blurred clinical picture

Abstract Background/Aims We present a case of MDA5 dermatomyositis(DM) in a 25-year-old male, initially presenting with seronegative inflammatory polyarthritis affecting the hands. No classic features of DM were noted and CK was normal. Sulfasalazine was started and subsequently stopped after an ALT rise. Lung-function performed prior to planned methotrexate was abnormal. A CT neck, thorax and abdomen showed unusual pulmonary appearances with focal basal ground glass opacities with reverse halo, without widespread interstitial lung disease(ILD). A bronchoscopy excluded atypical infection. He then developed scaly lesions over the extensor PIPJs, periungual lesions, periorbital swelling and sicca symptoms. CK remained normal, extended myositis screening was negative. LDH and troponins were elevated. A skin biopsy of the hand rash was consistent with dermatomyositis. Methods Muscle pain persisted and an MRI proximal muscles showed muscle oedema and inflammation. A muscle biopsy was requested but not performed as he developed an olecranon bursa with staphylococcal aureus infection. The bursa broke down, required wash-outs, antibiotics and was left to heal by secondary intention. A repeat myositis screen was positive for MDA5 antibody. Immunosuppression was delayed because of concerns that prednisolone, Mycophenolate mofetil(MMF) or Rituximab would cause further wound breakdown and increased risk of infection. The patient was monitored with serial lung-function but didn’t develop ILD. Dermatology confirmed there was active dermatomyositis in the wound edges. The wound only finally healed with additional IVIG therapy. The patient is now established on Rituximab, having been unable to tolerate MMF. Results This case highlights that continued reassessment of the evolving clinical picture is vital to reach the correct diagnosis, and that one should not be reassured by a normal CK. Instead the ALT rise (along with mild elevations of LDH and troponin) was likely reflecting muscle inflammation, not liver inflammation secondary to Sulfasalazine. The repeatedly infected olecranon bursa and large open wound raised concerns about immunosuppressive agents. However, the lack of healing was due to active DM and escalation of treatment was required rather than treatment delay. IVIG was given with excellent and rapid effect. This is licensed for refractory skin involvement in DM, to be considered when infection concern is high. Conclusion The pulmonary involvement with reverse halo sign was felt by the MDT to be nonspecific initially, with a wide differential. In the clinical context, this was reflecting an atypical presentation of MDA5 positive ILD. This antibody can be associated with rapidly progressive ILD and death in approximately one third of cases. Had our patient shown evidence of significant pulmonary progression, high dose immunosuppression would have been commenced despite potential infection risk. Not all patients testing positive for MDA5 develop rapidly progressive ILD but clinical suspicion should be high with frequent serial monitoring of lung function and radiology. Disclosure L. Maltas: None. J. Vila: None. A. Ray: None.

Subclinical high-resolution chest CT scan features in psoriasis

BackgroundAlthough psoriasis is considered a systemic disease, no clear association has been established between psoriasis and lung diseases. This study aims to detect and describe subclinical pulmonary involvement in psoriasis patients with various degrees of cutaneous manifestations. MethodsAdult psoriasis patients with no known active pulmonary disease or respiratory symptoms were screened for subclinical pulmonary manifestations and possible parenchymal changes using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan of the chest. Patients were classified according to the severity of skin manifestations. The clinical characteristics and radiographic findings of these patients were evaluated. ResultsFifty-nine patients with psoriasis were included, among which 47 (79.7%) had abnormal HRCT scan features. Micronodules were the most common detected lung lesions (66.1%), followed by nonspecific interstitial changes (32.2%), including pleuro-parenchymal band/atelectasis, scarring, and focal ground-glass opacities. Other HRCT findings included emphysematous changes and calcified granulomas. Abnormal HRCT findings correlated with older age and duration of psoriasis but not with the severity of skin manifestations. ConclusionsMicronodules and minor focal nonspecific interstitial changes were the most detected lung alterations in patients with psoriasis. These findings of the pilot study highlight a possible pulmonary involvement in patients with psoriasis. Larger multicenter studies are needed to clarify these findings further. LimitationsA major limitation of the study, is the lack of a control group with similar radiologic findings of different conditions done in the same geographical region.

Redefining “indeterminate” ground glass opacities in SARS-CoV-2

Background: Isolated ground glass opacities are often seen in the lungs and these are a diagnostic challenge. There are numerous different causes of ground glass opacities in the lungs. The broad list of etiologies are infectious causes, interstitial disease, alveolar disease, neoplastic, and drug toxicity. In the era of SARS Cov-2, it becomes very difficult to differentiate the ground glass opacities due to inflammatory bronchiolitis and other viral pneumonitis from those which are due to SARS CoV-2. Aims and Objectives: We aim to look for vascular signs seen in association with ground glass opacities which increase our level of confidence to call them ground glass opacities due to SARS-CoV-2 as an etiology. Materials and Methods: We present an observational study on 34 patients who presented with only patchy focal ground glass opacities in the lungs. All these patients were also subjected to nasopharyngeal swab test. The vascular signs seen on CT scan were of help to establish definite diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 only on the basis of ground glass opacities. Results: Out of 31 patients showing CT scan finding of prominent intralesional vessel, 27 were positive for COVID-19 on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. Four patients showing prominent intralesional vessel on CT scan were negative for COVID-19 infection on RT-PCR test. These four patients who were tested negative on RT-PCR were treated symptomaticaly for inflammatory bronchiolitis. Follow-up CT scan of two such patients were done after 4 days, which showed resolution of the focal ground glass opacities. Conclusion: The parenchymal imaging findings of SARS-Cov-2 are well described as ground glass opacities associated with septal thickening and consolidation. However, in some cases, only few focal isolated ground glass opacities are seen without any other typical features. In such cases, the vascular signs are of help to increase our level of diagnostic confidence.

LEAKY LUNGS: A COMPLICATION OF COVID-19 PNEUMONIA

TOPIC: Chest Infections TYPE: Medical Student/Resident Case Reports INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pneumonia can result in complications such as ARDS, septic shock, thromboembolic events, and kidney failure. Spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema are rare complications. CASE PRESENTATION: A 72-year-old African American female presented with a four day history of dyspnea. She was tachypneic with respiratory rate of 25/min with O2 saturation of 67% on room air, oxygen therapy via nonrebreather mask improved the O2 saturation to 92%. PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 was positive. Laboratory studies revealed a D-dimer-1121 ng/ml, C-reactive protein-15.97mg/dl, ferritin-356.8 and lactate dehydrogenase-337 U/L. Chest X-ray showed focal areas of interstitial and alveolar opacities. A CT scan of chest showed multiple focal ground glass opacities in the bilateral lung fields. She was treated with dexamethasone, remdesivir and supplemental oxygen. Two days later she became more hypoxic and chest X-ray showed increased interstitial opacities and a small pneumomediastinum. She was placed on high flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy. On the fourth day, her condition acutely worsened and she was emergently intubated without any complications and placed on mechanical ventilation with tidal volume of 6ml/kg ideal body weight. Post intubation chest-X-ray showed extensive pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema and right sided pneumothorax. Bilateral chest tubes were placed. Ultimately the patient passed away. DISCUSSION: COVID-19 pneumonia presents with a wide spectrum of symptoms, ranging from febrile illness to complications like ARDS, respiratory failure, and septic shock. Spontaneous pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum are relatively rare complications. We presented a case of COVID-19 pneumonia who developed these complications while getting appropriate treatment. COVID-19 pneumonia can cause diffuse alveolar damage, desquamation of pneumocytes and cellular fibromyositis [1,2]. Increase in alveolar pressure by coughing or Valsalva maneuver can cause marginal alveoli to rupture and leak air into the interstitial space. The air then dissects between the perivascular and the peri-bronchial sheath into the mediastinum, pleural space and subcutaneous tissue causing pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema respectively. Higher level of LDH is associated with increased risk of air leak from the lungs [3]. Small pneumothoraces can resolve on their own, but larger require chest tubes. Pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema are usually self-limiting benign conditions which resolve with bed rest, analgesics, and oxygen therapy [3]. CONCLUSIONS: Sudden deterioration in the oxygenation in COVID-19 patient should prompt clinicians to think of possible air leakage. Management of pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema and smaller spontaneous pneumothorax is conservative but large and tension pneumothoraces require chest tube. REFERENCE #1: Quincho-Lopez A, Quincho-Lopez DL, Hurtado-Medina FD. Case Report: Pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum as Uncommon Complications of COVID-19 Pneumonia-Literature Review. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020;103(3):1170-1176. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.20-0815 REFERENCE #2: Shan S, Guangming L, Wei L, Xuedong Y. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema in COVID-19: case report and literature review. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2020;62:e76. Published 2020 Oct 9. doi:10.1590/S1678-9946202062076 REFERENCE #3: Elhakim TS, Abdul HS, Pelaez Romero C, Rodriguez-Fuentes Y. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema in COVID-19 pneumonia: a rare case and literature review. BMJ Case Rep. 2020;13(12):e239489. Published 2020 Dec 12. doi:10.1136/bcr-2020-239489 DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Prakash Adhikari, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Nikhil Madala, source=Web Response

Pneumomediastinum in an asthmatic patient with COVID-19

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare disease that develops due to alveolar rupture. Many cases with pneumomediastinum, related to Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) have been reported so far, but most of these patients had severe disease and extensive parenchymal damage. Pneumomediastinum is fairly rare in COVID-19 with such a little lung infiltration. It is supposed to occur as a result of the increased intra-alveolar pressure induced by an excessive cough. Here, we present a patient with asthma with typical symptoms of COVID-19 on chest computerized tomography (CT) and focal ground-glass opacity and pneumomediastinum, which spontaneously regressed without cardiac or respiratory complications.

The role of chest CT in deciphering interstitial lung involvement: systemic sclerosis versus COVID-19.

The aim of this study was to identify the main CT features that may help in distinguishing a progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to SSc from COVID-19 pneumonia. This multicentric study included 22 international readers grouped into a radiologist group (RADs) and a non-radiologist group (nRADs). A total of 99 patients, 52 with COVID-19 and 47 with SSc-ILD, were included in the study. Fibrosis inside focal ground-glass opacities (GGOs) in the upper lobes; fibrosis in the lower lobe GGOs; reticulations in lower lobes (especially if bilateral and symmetrical or associated with signs of fibrosis) were the CT features most frequently associated with SSc-ILD. The CT features most frequently associated with COVID- 19 pneumonia were: consolidation (CONS) in the lower lobes, CONS with peripheral (both central/peripheral or patchy distributions), anterior and posterior CONS and rounded-shaped GGOs in the lower lobes. After multivariate analysis, the presence of CONs in the lower lobes (P < 0.0001) and signs of fibrosis in GGOs in the lower lobes (P < 0.0001) remained independently associated with COVID-19 pneumonia and SSc-ILD, respectively. A predictive score was created that was positively associated with COVID-19 diagnosis (96.1% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity). CT diagnosis differentiating between COVID-19 pneumonia and SSc-ILD is possible through a combination of the proposed score and radiologic expertise. The presence of consolidation in the lower lobes may suggest COVID-19 pneumonia, while the presence of fibrosis inside GGOs may indicate SSc-ILD.

POS1228 THE ROLE OF CHEST CT IN UNDERSTANDING INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE (ILD): SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS (SSc). VERSUS COVID-19

Background:COVID-19 pandemic is a global emergency which may overlap on the clinical and radiological scenario of ILD in SSc. In clinical practice, the striking similarities observed at computed tomography (CT) between the diseases make it difficult to distinguish a COVID-19 superinfection from a progression of SSc-ILD.Objectives:The aim of our study was to identify the main CT features that may help distinguishing SSc-ILD from COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods:22 international readers were included and divided in the radiologist group (RAD) and non-radiologist group (nRAD). The RAD group included non-chest RAD and chest-RAD. A total of 99 patients, 52 with COVID-19 and 47 with SSc-ILD, were included in the study.Results:Fibrosis inside focal ground glass opacities (GGO) in the upper lobes; fibrosis in the lower lobe GGO; reticulations in lower lobes (especially if bilateral and symmetrical or associated with signs of fibrosis) were the CT parameters most frequently associated with SSc-ILD. The CT parameters most frequently associated with COVID- 19 pneumonia were: consolidation (CONS) in the lower lobes, CONS with peripheral (both central/peripheral or patchy distributions), anterior and posterior CONS and rounded-shaped GGOs in the lower lobes. After multivariate analysis, the presence of CONS in the lower lobes (p &lt;0.0001) and signs of fibrosis in GGO in the lower lobes (p &lt;0.0001) remained independently associated with COVID-19 pneumonia or SSc-ILD, respectively. These two variables were combined in a predictive score which resulted positively associated with the COVID-19 diagnosis, with 96.1% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity: 3 different risk class for COVID-19 pneumonia may be identified: high risk for COVID-19 pneumonia (5-9 points); probable overlap COVID-19 pneumonia in SSc-ILD (4 points); low risk for COVID-19 pneumonia (0-3 points).Conclusion:The CT differential diagnosis between COVID-19 Pneumonia and SSc-ILD is possible and may be fostered in practice by the use of a radiological score. In the case where an overlap of both diseases is suspected, the presence of consolidation in the lower lobes may suggest a COVID-19 pneumonia while the presence of fibrosis inside GGO may indicate a SSc-ILD.

Ground-glass opacity (GGO): a review of the differential diagnosis in the era of COVID-19.

Thoracic imaging is fundamental in the diagnostic route of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) especially in patients admitted to hospitals. In particular, chest computed tomography (CT) has a key role in identifying the typical features of the infection. Ground-glass opacities (GGO) are one of the main CT findings, but their presence is not specific for this viral pneumonia. In fact, GGO is a radiological sign of different pathologies with both acute and subacute/chronic clinical manifestations. In the evaluation of a subject with focal or diffuse GGO, the radiologist has to know the patient’s medical history to obtain a valid diagnostic hypothesis. The authors describe the various CT appearance of GGO, related to the onset of symptoms, focusing also on the ancillary signs that can help radiologist to obtain a correct and prompt diagnosis.

Chest pain mimicking pulmonary embolism may be a common presentation of COVID‐19 in ambulant patients without other typical features of infection

BackgroundRadiological and pathological studies in severe COVID‐19 pneumonia (SARS‐CoV‐2) have demonstrated extensive pulmonary immunovascular thrombosis and infarction. This study investigated whether these focal changes may present with chest pain mimicking pulmonary emoblism (PE) in ambulant patients.MethodsCTPAs from outpatients presenting with chest pain to Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust 1st March to 31 May 2020 (n = 146) and 2019 (n = 85) were compared. Regions of focal ground glass opacity (GGO), consolidation and/or atelectasis (parenchymal changes) were determined, and all scans were scored using British Society for Thoracic Imaging (BSTI) criteria for COVID‐19, and the 2020 cohort was offered SARS‐CoV‐2 antibody testing.ResultsBaseline demographic and clinical data were similar between groups with absence of fever, normal lymphocytes and marginally elevated CRP and D‐Dimer values. Evidence of COVID‐19 or parenchymal changes was observed in 32.9% (48/146) of cases in 2020 compared to 16.5% (14/85) in 2019 (P = 0.007). 11/146 (7.5%) patients met BSTI criteria for COVID‐19 in 2020 compared with 0/14 in 2019 (P = 0.008). 3/39 patients tested had detectable COVID‐19 antibodies (2 with parenchymal changes and 1 with normal parenchyma) however 0/6 patients whose CTPA met BSTI criteria “likely/suspicious for COVID‐19” and attended antibody testing were SARS‐CoV‐2 antibody positive.Conclusions32.8% ambulatory patients with suspected PE in 2020 had parenchymal changes with 7.5% diagnosed as COVID‐19 infection by imaging criteria, despite the absence of other COVID‐19 symptoms. These findings suggest that localized COVID‐19 pneumonitis with immunothrombosis occurs distal to the bronchiolar arteriolar circulation, causing pleural irritation and chest pain without viraemia, accounting for the lack of fever and systemic symptoms.

Bronchiectasis is one of the indicators of severe coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia.

Bronchiectasis is one of the indicators of severe coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia.

The Role of Chest CT in Deciphering Interstitial Lung Involvement: Systemic Sclerosis Versus COVID-19

Background: In clinical practice, the striking similarities observed at computed tomography (CT) between the diseases make it difficult to distinguish a COVID-19 pneumonia from a progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to Systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of the present study was to identify the main CT features that may help distinguishing SSc-ILD from COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: This multicentric study included 22 international readers divided in the radiologist group (RAD) and non-radiologist group (nRAD). A total of 99 patients, 52 with COVID-19 and 47 with SSc-ILD, were included in the study.Findings: Fibrosis inside focal ground glass opacities (GGO) in the upper lobes; fibrosis in the lower lobe GGO; reticulations in lower lobes (especially if bilateral and symmetrical or associated with signs of fibrosis) were the CT features most frequently associated with SSc-ILD. The CT features most frequently associated with COVID- 19 pneumonia were: consolidation (CONS) in the lower lobes, CONS with peripheral (both central/peripheral or patchy distributions), anterior and posterior CONS and rounded-shaped GGOs in the lower lobes. After multivariate analysis, the presence of CONS in the lower lobes (p Interpretation: The CT differential diagnosis between COVID-19 pneumonia and SSc-ILD is possible through the combination our score and the radiologic expertise. If an overlap of both diseases is suspected, the presence of consolidation in the lower lobes may suggest a COVID-19 pneumonia while the presence of fibrosis inside GGO may indicate a SSc-ILD.Funding: No Funding were received for this study.Declaration of Interests: SC reports personal fees from NOVARTIS-SANOFI-LILLY-CELTHER-PFIZER-JANSSEN; MK reports grants and personal fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, personal fees from Corbus, grants and personal fees from Chugai, grants and personal fees from Ono Pharmeceuticals, personal fees from Tanabe-Mitsubishi, personal fees from Astellas, personal fees from Gilead, personal fees from Mochida; ST reports personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Roche, outside the submitted work; GS reports personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim; CB reports personal fees from Actelion, personal fees from Eli Lilly, grants from European Scleroderma Trial and Research (EUSTAR) group, grants from New Horizon Fellowship, grants from Foundation for Research in Rheumatology (FOREUM), grants from Fondazione Italiana per la Ricerca sull'Artrite (FIRA); CV reports grants and personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, grants and personal fees from F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.; FL reports lectures fee from Roche and from Boehringer- Ingelheim; CPD reports grants and personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Boerhinger Ingelheim, grants from Servier, grants and personal fees from Inventiva, grants and personal fees from Arxx Therapeutics, personal fees from Corbus, personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Roche; FL reports grants and personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Orion Pharma, personal fees from AstraZeneca, grants from MSD, personal fees from HIKMA, personal fees from Trudell International, grants and personal fees from Chiesi Farmaceutici, personal fees from Novartis Pharma; MH reports personal fees from Speaking fees from Actelion, Eli lilly and Pfizer; D K reports personal fees from Actelion, grants and personal fees from Bayer, grants and personal fees from Boehringer Ingelhem, personal fees from CSL Behring, grants and personal fees from Horizon, grants from Pfizer, personal fees from Corbus, grants and personal fees from BMS, outside the submitted work; and Dr Khanna is the Chief Medical officer of Eicos Sciences Inc and has stock options. All the mentioned authors declared previous feed outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests.Ethics Approval Statement: This retrospective, observational, multicentric, international study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Florence Careggi hospital (protocol number 17104_oss).

Chest CT findings and their correlation with RT-PCR testing in pediatric COVID-19 patients

Objectives: To compare the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results and chest computerized tomography (CT) findings in pediatric patients with a pre-diagnosis of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: The thorax CT examinations and RT-PCR test results were retrospectively evaluated in 177 children. According to the test results, the patients were divided into two groups as 'COVID-19-positive' and 'COVID-19-negative'. Results: In the COVID-19-positive group, 65.71% of the patients with a family history of COVID-19 (p<0.01). In the same group, 50.00% of patients with normal CT findings were older than 16 years (p<0.01), and single-lobe involvement was more common (54.54%, p<0.01). The most observed CT finding was consolidation with ground-glass opacities (GGO) in both groups. Fibrotic bands (51.46%, p<0.01), reticular pattern (34.95%, p<0.01), atelectasis (9.71%, p<0.01), mosaic perfusion (26.21%, p<0.01), and pleural effusion (19.42%, p<0.01) were mostly seen in the COVID-19-negative group. In patients with underlying diseases, the sensitivity values were calculated as 0.441 for CT and 0.863 for the RT-PCR test. Conclusion: In patients with a family history of COVID-19, the chest CT showed focal GGO with or without consolidation as the most common finding. If CT findings diffuse and severe, the patient most likely does not have COVID-19. The RT-PCR test results are more reliable than CT in children with underlying diseases. © 2021 Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University.

Dandelion and focal crazy paving signs: the lung CT based predictors for evaluation of the severity of coronavirus disease

Purpose To describe the radiological features of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and to explore the significant signs that indicate severity of disease. Materials and methods We collected data retrospectively of 180 cases of COVID-19, from 15 January 2020 to 31 March 2020, from both the Wuhan Zhongnan and Beijing Ditan Hospitals, including 103 cases of mild and 77 cases of severe pneumonia. All patients had their first chest computed tomography scan within five days of symptom onset. The dandelion sign was defined by a focal ground glass opacity (GGO) with a central thickening of the airway wall, and the focal crazy paving sign was defined by a focal GGO with thickening of the interlobular septa. Results Consolidation presented in only 4.9% (5/103) of the mild pneumonia cases, which was significantly lower than that in severe pneumonia cases (70.1% 54/77), p < .001). Multifocal distribution and pure GGOs were observed more frequently in severe cases of pneumonia (p < .05). The dandelion sign was present in 86.4% (89/103) of the mild pneumonia cases, significantly more frequent than those with severe pneumonia (13.0% [10/77], p < .001). The focal crazy paving sign presented in 65.0% (67/103) of the mild pneumonia cases and was significantly more frequent than in severe cases (23.4% [18/77], p < .001). The hospital stay duration of the mild pneumonia group (13.6 ± 7.2 days) was significantly shorter than the severe pneumonia group (26.6 ± 11.7 days, p < .001) Conclusions Consolidation, pure GGO and multifocal distribution on a CT scan were associated with severe COVID-19. The dandelion and focal crazy paving signs indicate mild COVID-19.

Chest Computed Tomography and Clinical Follow-Up of Discharged Patients with COVID-19 in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang, China.

Rationale: Many clinical studies have focused on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of inpatients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, there are few reports about the clinical follow-up of discharged patients.Objectives: To describe the follow-up of patients with COVID-19 in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang, China.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 4-week follow-ups in patients with COVID-19, including computed tomographic (CT) chest scanning, blood testing, and oropharyngeal-swab testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ribonucleic acid. The chest CT scans and blood tests were performed on the last day before discharge and 2 weeks and 4 weeks after discharge. The oropharyngeal-swab tests were performed at both 1 week and 2 weeks after discharge. Fifty-one patients with common COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. All the CT and clinical data were collected between January 23 and March 28, 2020.Results: Compared with the abnormalities found on the the last CT scans before discharge, the abnormalities in the lungs at the first and second follow-ups after discharge had been gradually absorbed. The cases with focal ground-glass opacity were reduced from 17.7% to 9.8% of cases. The cases with multiple ground-glass opacities decreased from 80.4% to 23.5%. The cases with consolidation were reduced from 49.0% to 2.0%. The cases with interlobular septal thickening were reduced from 80.4% to 35.3%. The cases with subpleural lines were reduced from 29.4% to 7.8%. The cases with irregular lines were reduced from 41.2% to 15.7%. The lung lesions of 25.5% patients were shown to be fully absorbed on the first CT scans after discharge, and the rate of lung recovery increased to 64.7% after the second follow-up. Nucleic-acid test results became recurrently positive in 17.6% of discharged patients, of whom only 33.3% complained of clinical symptoms. There were no differences in the characteristics of the last CT scans before discharge between the patients with recurrently positive test results and the patients with negative test results. The lung damage was fully absorbed in 55.6% of discharged patients with recurrence of positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid.Conclusions: The lung damage due to COVID-19 could be reversible for patients with common COVID-19. A few cases showed recurring positive results of nucleic-acid tests after discharge.

Improved Early Recognition of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19): Single-Center Data from a Shanghai Screening Hospital.

In December 2019, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19; previously known as 2019-nCoV) was reported in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, which has subsequently affected more than 200 countries worldwide including Europe, North America, Oceania, Africa and other places. The number of infected people is rapidly increasing, while the diagnostic method of COVID-19 is only by nucleic acid testing. To explain the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, imaging manifestations and to judge diagnostic value of COVID-19 by analyzing the clinical data of COVID-19 suspected and confirmed patients in a non-outbreak, Shanghai, China. To clarify the early epidemiology and clinical characteristics about COVID-19. Cross-sectional, single-center case reports of the 86 patients screened at Zhoupu Hospital in Pudong New District, Shanghai, China, from January 23 to February 16, 2020. Epidemiology, demography, clinical, laboratory and chest CTs were collected and analyzed. The screened patients were divided into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 based on nucleic acid test results. Of the 86 screened patients, 11 were confirmed (12.8%) by nucleic acid testing (mean age 40.73 ± 11.32, 5 males). No significant differences were found in clinical symptoms including fever, cough, dyspnea, sore throat, and fatigue (P > 0.05). No statistical difference was observed in plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) between the two groups (COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 ) of patients (P = 0.402), while the white blood cell count and lymphocyte count of the confirmed patients were slightly lower than those of the suspected patients (P < 0.05). Some non-COVID-19 chest CTs also showed subpleural lesions, such as ground-glass opacities (GGO) combined with bronchiectasis; or halo nodules distributed under the pleura with focal GGO; consolidation of subpleural distribution or combined with air bronchi sign and vascular bundle sign, etc. The early clinical manifestations and imaging findings of COVID-19 are not characteristic in non-outbreak areas. Etiological testing should be performed as early as possible for clinically suspected patients.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Pediatric Gastroenterologist.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Pediatric Gastroenterologist.

Frequent Convulsive Seizures in an Adult Patient with COVID-19: A Case Report

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel coronavirus that was extracted from patients with respiratory tract infections. The most common symptoms of patients are fever and respiratory tract involvement. In this report, we describe one patient with frequent seizures probably due to COVID-19 infection for the first time. Case Presentation: A 30-year-old previously healthy female was admitted with generalized tonic-clonic seizure in the neurology emergency room. The patient complained of dry cough five days before the admission. She had seizures (five times) approximately every 8 hours. Brain MRI was normal and chest CT revealed focal ground-glass opacities. The respiratory specimen was positive for COVID-19 using real-time PCR assay. The symptoms of the patient improved with anticonvulsive and antiviral medications. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case study to report an association between frequent seizures and COVID- 19. In our opinion, there is a hypothesis about this subject that the etiology of seizure may be due to encephalitis and invasion virus to the brain or toxic effect of inflammatory cytokines.

Clinical and CT imaging features of the COVID-19 pneumonia: Focus on pregnant women and children

BackgroundThe ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 pneumonia is globally concerning. We aimed to investigate the clinical and CT features in the pregnant women and children with this disease, which have not been well reported. MethodsClinical and CT data of 59 patients with COVID-19 from January 27 to February 14, 2020 were retrospectively reviewed, including 14 laboratory-confirmed non-pregnant adults, 16 laboratory-confirmed and 25 clinically-diagnosed pregnant women, and 4 laboratory-confirmed children. The clinical and CT features were analyzed and compared. FindingsCompared with the non-pregnant adults group (n = 14), initial normal body temperature (9 [56%] and 16 [64%]), leukocytosis (8 [50%] and 9 [36%]) and elevated neutrophil ratio (14 [88%] and 20 [80%]), and lymphopenia (9 [56%] and 16 [64%]) were more common in the laboratory-confirmed (n = 16) and clinically-diagnosed (n = 25) pregnant groups. Totally 614 lesions were detected with predominantly peripheral and bilateral distributions in 54 (98%) and 37 (67%) patients, respectively. Pure ground-glass opacity (GGO) was the predominant presence in 94/131 (72%) lesions for the non-pregnant adults. Mixed consolidation and complete consolidation were more common in the laboratory-confirmed (70/161 [43%]) and clinically-diagnosed (153/322 [48%]) pregnant groups than 37/131 (28%) in the non-pregnant adults (P = 0·007, P < 0·001). GGO with reticulation was less common in 9/161 (6%) and 16/322 (5%) lesions for the two pregnant groups than 24/131 (18%) for the non-pregnant adults (P = 0·001, P < 0·001). The pulmonary involvement in children with COVID-19 was mild with a focal GGO or consolidation. Twenty-three patients underwent follow-up CT, revealing progression in 9/13 (69%) at 3 days whereas improvement in 8/10 (80%) at 6–9 days after initial CT scans. InterpretationAtypical clinical findings of pregnant women with COVID-19 could increase the difficulty in initial identification. Consolidation was more common in the pregnant groups. The clinically-diagnosed cases were vulnerable to more pulmonary involvement. CT was the modality of choice for early detection, severity assessment, and timely therapeutic effects evaluation for the cases with epidemic and clinical features of COVID-19 with or without laboratory confirmation. The exposure history and clinical symptoms were more helpful for screening in children versus chest CT.

Clinical and CT Imaging Features of the COVID-19 Pneumonia: Focus on Pregnant Women and Children

Background: The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 pneumonia is globally concerning. We aimed to investigate the clinical and CT features in the pregnant women and children with this disease, which have not been well reported. Methods: Clinical and CT data of 59 patients with COVID-19 from January 27 to February 14, 2020 were retrospectively reviewed, including 14 laboratory-confirmed non-pregnant adults, 16 laboratory-confirmed and 25 clinically-diagnosed pregnant women, and 4 laboratory-confirmed children. The clinical and CT features were analyzed and compared. Findings: Compared with the non-pregnant adults group (n=14), initial normal temperature (9 [56%] and 16 [64%]), leukocytosis (8 [50%] and 9 [36%]) and elevated neutrophil ratio (14 [88%] and 20 [80%]), and lymphopenia (9 [56%] and 16 [64%]) were more common in the laboratory-confirmed (n=16) and clinically-diagnosed (n=25) pregnant groups. Totally 614 lesions were detected with predominantly peripheral and bilateral distributions in 54 (98%) and 37 (67%) patients, respectively. Pure ground-glass opacity (GGO) was the predominant presence in 94/131 (72%) lesions for the non-pregnant adults. Mixed consolidation and complete consolidation were more common in the laboratory-confirmed (70/161 [43%]) and clinically-diagnosed (153/322 [48%]) pregnant groups than 37/131 (28%) in the non-pregnant adults ( P =0·007, P <0·001). GGO with reticulation was less common in 9/161 (6%) and 16/322 (5%) lesions for the two pregnant groups than 24/131 (18%) for the non-pregnant adults ( P =0·001, P <0·001). The pulmonary involvement in children with COVID-19 was mild with a focal GGO or consolidation. Twenty-three patients underwent follow-up CT, revealing progression in 9/13 (69%) at 3 days whereas improvement in 8/10 (80%) at 6 to 9 days after initial CT scans. Interpretation: Atypical clinical findings of pregnant women with COVID-19 could increase the difficulty in initial identification. Consolidation was more common in the pregnant groups. The clinically-diagnosed cases were vulnerable to more pulmonary involvement. CT was the modality of choice for early detection, severity assessment, and timely therapeutic effects evaluation for the cases with epidemic and clinical features of COVID-19 with or without laboratory confirmation. The exposure history and clinical symptoms were more helpful for screening in children versus chest CT. Funding Statement: The authors stated that there was no funding source for this study. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of relevant centers. The informed consent requirement was waived for this retrospective study.

Yttrium-90 Radioembolization of the Right Inferior Phrenic Artery in 20 Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PurposeTo address the feasibility of infusion of yttrium-90 (90Y) glass microspheres directly through the right inferior phrenic artery (RIPA). Materials and MethodsFrom November 2015 to May 2017, 20 patients underwent 90Y radioembolization through the RIPA. When the systemic-to-pulmonary shunt was demonstrated on C-arm computed tomography (CT) of the RIPA, prophylactic embolization by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles was performed prior to infusion of 90Y glass microspheres. Follow-up CT scans were retrospectively reviewed for pulmonary complications. Tumor response was determined by the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. ResultsNine (45%) patients had systemic-to-pulmonary shunts on C-arm CT images of the RIPA. The feeder of the systemic-to-pulmonary shunt was the azygoesophageal branch (n = 7) and the anterior branch (n = 2). The mean activity of 90Y glass microspheres infused into the RIPA was 0.49 GBq (range, 0.19–1.55 GBq). No patient had symptomatic radiation pneumonitis or cutaneous complications during follow-up. Seven patients had focal atelectasis (n = 5), focal ground-glass opacity (n = 2), and/or a small amount of pleural effusion (n = 2) on follow-up image. Best tumor response fed by the RIPA was complete response (n = 4), partial response (n = 9), stable disease (n = 2), progressive disease (n = 4), and unevaluable (n = 1). ConclusionThe administration of 90Y glass microspheres through the RIPA may be safe after embolization of a systemic-to-pulmonary shunt identified on C-arm CT.