Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 168, July 2020, 105989
Respiratory Medicine

Association between chest CT features and clinical course of Coronavirus Disease 2019

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2020.105989 Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Highlights

  • Certain characteristics were identified of CT scan among COVID-19 patients.

  • Radiographic features changed along with the clinical time course.

  • No predictive value was found of radiographic features on COVID-19 progression.

  • Positive CT findings had correlation with clinical features.

Abstract

Purpose

This retrospective study aims to illustrate the radiographic characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the correlation with the clinical course.

Methods

195 hospitalized patients confirmed as Coronavirus Disease 2019 at First Hospital of Changsha, Hunan Province from December 31, 2019 to February 20, 2020 were enrolled. Chest computed tomography scan, clinical data and laboratory tests results were collected accordingly. Variable characteristics were recorded, radiographic evolution and outcome were analyzed along with the time course. Representative laboratory tests results were analyzed based on the image findings.

Results

Majority of the patients showed bilateral (73.8%), multiple lobes involvements (75.9%), peripheral distribution (83.1%), ground-glass opacification (41.0%), increased vascular margins (63.1%), long axis parallelism (55.9%), patchy ground-glass opacities beneath the pleura (51.3%) and consolidation (45.6%). According to the repeated radiology analysis, patients of improving/stable group tended to have younger age compared with worsening group (45.3 ± 15.0 VS. 59.3 ± 13.5, P = 0.001). Based on the laboratory test results, patients with positive image findings shared elder age, 46.0 (35.0–60.0)VS.31.0 (12.0–37.0) P < 0.001, and higher chance developing fever(P < 0.05); higher level of lymphocytes, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and lactate dehydrogenase; lower level of white blood cells, neutrophil and albumin(P < 0.001).

Conclusions

There are several specific image changes along with the disease progression may be helpful in early recognition and differential diagnosis of Coronavirus Disease 2019. Comprehensive assessments of both imaging feature and laboratory test results may offer an intact knowledge of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Keywords

Coronavirus disease
Computed tomography
SARS-CoV2
Viral infection

Cited by (0)

1

Zhibing Luo, Na Wang, Ping Liu, and Qian Guo contributed equally to this work.