The Prevalence of Different Radiological CT Chest Finding in Patients Hospitalized for COVID 19 Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Corona virus disease 2019 is a highly infectious disease, causing respiratory tract infections and resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome in few cases. According to recommendation of WHO regarding use of chest imaging in COVID-19, all patients with confirmed COVID-19 & hospitalized with moderate to severe symptoms, chest imaging should be added to clinical and laboratory assessment to direct therapeutic management. CT chest had high sensitivity & low specificity in diagnosis of COVID 19 pneumonia, but it can also help in diagnosis of patient with pre-existing pulmonary disease. Aim of Study: Our study assessed all possible CT chest manifestations including consolidations and ground glassing, which were the main features assessed in other studies. We also analyzed the zonal preference which proved to be diffuse or lower lobar in affection. Added to that the prevalence of peripheral parenchymal band which was detected in more than half of included patients. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted with 207 patients who were diagnosed & admitted with positive COVID-19 infection. All patients were confirmed positive using PCR test. Results: In all, 207 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia, were enrolled in our study. The most prevalent finding was the presence of a ground-glass opacity (GGO), representing 87.1 % of CT findings. This was followed by peripheral parenchymal bands, as seen in 52% of patients, and consolidation patches were seen in 41.3% of patients. The least significant CT features observed in PCR-positive patients were crazy paving and reverse halo sign, seen only in 4.5% and 2.7% of patients, respectively. Overall, 81.6% of all patients showed multi-segmental affection, with 53.1 % showing diffuse zonal affection and 40.8% with lower lobe predominance. Conclusion: The most common CT features seen in cases of COVID-19 pneumonia were GGO, consolidations, and Peripheral parenchyma bands. COVID-19 pneumonia was primarily multi-segmental in affection, showing diffuse or lower zone predominance.