ABSTRACT
Background: The Computed Tomography Scan (CT scan) was widely used for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia evaluation and its correlation with clinical and laboratory findings is useful in clinical management. Aims and objectives: This study examines the clinical and functional features of COVID-19 pneumonia in relation with the extent of ground glass (GGO) and consolidation areas defined by volumetric investigations on CT scan. Method(s): Sixty-one patients attending the emergency department were enrolled. A semi-automatic segmentation software was used to extract volumetric data that has been compared with clinical and laboratory findings. Result(s): The decrease of aerated lung volume with the increase of GGO and consolidation areas were strongly related with a decrease of P/F ratio (p<0.0001, p<0.0001 and p=0.0002 respectively). An inverse correlation was observed between GGO and consolidation areas with P/F (R= -0.62, p<0.0001 and R= -0.4 and p=0.003, respectively). No significant correlation was observed between consolidation versus ground glass opacities ratio (C/GGO) and P/F. The increase of GGO and consolidation corresponded to an increase in CRP (R=-0.68, p<0.0001) and LDH (R=-0.55, p<0.0001) and a decrease in both the absolute number and the percentage of lymphocytes (respectively: R= 0.48, p<0.0001 and R= 0.54, p<0.0001) with a similar increase of neutrophils (respectively: R= -0.33, p=0.01 and R= -0.54, p<0.0001). These parameters had a stronger correlation with GGO than with consolidation areas. Conclusion(s): The extension and the characteristics in terms of GGO and consolidation of the lung lesions have a significant correlation with P/F reduction, CRP and LDH increase and lymphocytes decrease.