ABSTRACT
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) and Loculated pneumothorax (LPNX) are both generally rare clinical and radiological conditions associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). We report for the first time clinical data and radiological chest CT imaging of two patients affected by COVID-pneumonia associated with early radiological findings of SPM and LPNX.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections , Mediastinal Emphysema , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , Pneumothorax , Adult , Aged , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections/complications , Coronavirus Infections/diagnostic imaging , Coronavirus Infections/pathology , Female , Humans , Male , Mediastinal Emphysema/diagnostic imaging , Mediastinal Emphysema/pathology , Mediastinal Emphysema/virology , Pneumonia, Viral/complications , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnostic imaging , Pneumonia, Viral/pathology , Pneumothorax/diagnostic imaging , Pneumothorax/pathology , Pneumothorax/virology , SARS-CoV-2 , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to report the radiological features of chest CT scan of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) living in a town in Southern Italy where a significant outbreak of the disease occurred. METHODS: We revised the CT scan of 62 patients (34 male, 28 female, mean age 71 +/- 14 years) with clinical and laboratory signs of COVID-19, as assessed by positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing. All patients underwent chest CT at the time of admission to the hospital. A semi-quantitative scoring system was used to evaluate the extension of the disease. RESULTS: Out of the 62 patients the main radiological findings were reticular pattern (29%), ground-glass opacities (24%), crazy paving pattern (11%) and consolidation (35%). Most of the lesions were bilateral (97%), posterior (95%) and located near pleura (50%) or lung fissures (45%), mainly involving the lower right lobe (56%) and lower left lobe (23%). Pleural thickening was observed in 72.6% of patients and pleural effusion in 18%. Median value of the score was 7.0 and was significantly higher in male than female (8.5 vs 6.0, p=0.03) and in patients with pleural thickening compared to those without this finding (8.0 vs 5.0, p=0.03).