Parenchymal lung changes on CT in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Infections due to COVID-19 can lead to life threatening pneumonia. Accompanying severe disease are more prominent pulmonary changes on Computed Tomography (CT) scan of the chest. The goal of this study was to describe pulmonary CT changes during acute COVID-19 and at follow up and whether the extent of changes correlate with severity of illness, demographics or other risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS Included in this study are all individuals that had confirmed COVID-19 and came for a follow up CT of the chest at Landspitali from May to September 2020. Information regarding medical history was obtained retrospectively from medical charts. All CT scans were reviewed using an international staging system to evaluate the extent of lung changes. RESULTS Eighty-five patients with a mean age of 59 years were included in the study. Sixty patients (71%) were hospitalized during the acute phase and 18 (21%) were admitted to the ICU. During the acute phase more pronounced lung involvement was seen in males and patients admitted to the ICU. At follow-up females had less lung involvement but there was a significant relationship between a higher CT score and age, ICU admissions and days in the ICU. Full recovery was seen at follow-up CT in 31% of patients (median 68,5 days between acute and follow-up imaging). CONCLUSION Patients with severe COVID-19 have more pronounced lung involvement on CT than patients with milder disease during the acute phase and follow-up. Older patients and males are at greater risk of acute and persistent COVID-19 related lung changes.

Características clínico - epidemiológicas de los pacientes covid19 hospitalizados por el servicio de emergencia de la Clínica Internacional Sede Lima en el primer trimestre del año 2021

“…Sobre las imágenes de Tomografía Pulmonar la bibliografía indica que la afectación pulmonar en su mayoría la lesión en vidrio esmerilado, con compromiso bilateral (17) , así como también se observó que los pacientes que ingresaron a UCI tuvieron mayor afectación pulmonar (20) . Nosotros encontramos que el 20.3% de los pacientes hospitalizados tuvieron afectación mayor igual a 50% en la tomografía, el 62% de los pacientes ingresados a UCI, en le análisis realizado este hallazgo se asoció de forma significativa con el ingreso a UCI.…”

“…Interciencia Médica. 2021;11(4): [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Artículo original Introducción Desde tiempos inmemoriales (1,2) la humanidad se ha visto amenazada por infecciones emergentes producto de las complejas interacciones entre humanos y animales; en épocas recientes se han reportado dos entidades relacionadas con los beta coronavirus, el síndrome respiratorio agudo severo (SARS-CoV) y síndrome respiratorio del Medio Oriente (MERS-CoV), las cuales han causado más de 10 000 casos en las últimas dos décadas, con tasas de mortalidad del 10% y del 37% respectivamente (3,4) .…”