Application of chest CT scans in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID⁃19

Objective: To investigate the role of chest CT scan in the diagnosis and evaluation of COVID⁃19 by analyzing the imaging features of patients with COVID⁃19 at different stages. Methods: The clinical data and radiologic findings were retrospectively collected in medical staff who were confirmed COVID⁃19 and admitted in our hospital from January 10 to March 20, 2020. We analyzed the characteristics of clinical manifestations, the frequency and interval of chest CT scans in the course of illness, imaging features in different stages of diseases, and the CT imaging outcomes during follow⁃up. Results: A total of 95 patients who met the criteria were included. The average time from symptom onset to aggravation and to alleviation were 8.3 days and 17.6 days, respectively. Patients received an average of 5 chest CT scans. The average intervals from onset to the first positive CT signs, the most serious CT signs, and the CT signs starting to disappear were 3.5 days, 7.8 days and 15.7 days, respectively. The mean CT follow⁃up time were 38.2 days. The lung lesions were completely absorbed on CT images in 38 patients, or presented with disappearing of the CT signs in the other patients. No patients had serious fibrosis residues. Conclusion: Chest CT has high sensitivity for early diagnosis of COVID⁃19. The moderate and some serious COVID⁃19 patients have good outcomes on CT images by recent follow⁃up. The changes of clinical symptoms are consistent with the changes of chest CT signs, and both are easy indicators for the outcomes of COVID⁃19 patients. © 2021, Editorial Board of Medical Journal of Wuhan University. All right reserved.