A rare radiological presentation of pulmonary metastases from malignant melanoma.

Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive cancer with metastatic potential to various locations such as the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, brain, and bone. After the lymph nodes, the lungs are the most common site of malignant melanoma metastases. Pulmonary metastases from malignant melanoma commonly presents as solitary or multiple solid nodules, sub-solid nodules or miliary opacities on CT chest. We present a case of pulmonary metastases from malignant melanoma in a 74-year-old man which presented unusually on CT chest as a combination of patterns like "crazy paving," upper lobe predominance with subpleural sparing, and centrilobular micronodules. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, wedge resection and tissue analysis were performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of malignant melanoma metastases, and the patient further underwent PET-CT for staging and surveillance. Patients with pulmonary metastases from malignant melanoma can have atypical imaging findings, therefore radiologists should be aware of these unconventional presentations to avoid any misdiagnoses.

Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in an adolescent girl with rapidly progressive dyspnea

Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease, especially in pediatrics, but important to consider, as it may avoid unnecessary and/or invasive investigations and delayed diagnosis. This case report highlights an adolescent girl with rapid onset dyspnea but an unremarkable physical exam and initial testing. However, due to a high index of suspicion, a chest computed tomography (CT) scan was done, revealing a "crazy paving" pattern, which then prompted expedited assessment. This finding, however, is not as specific as often discussed and has a broad differential diagnosis, which will be reviewed in detail as part of this case. Furthermore, this report demonstrates a diagnostic approach for PAP that avoids lung biopsy, previously considered to be required for diagnosis of PAP, but is increasingly becoming unnecessary with more advanced blood tests and understanding of their sensitivity and specificity. Additionally, management strategies for PAP will be briefly discussed.Copyright © 2022 Canadian Thoracic Society.

Clinical Presentations of the Survivor and Non-survivor Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in the Golestan Province of Iran during the First Peak of the Epidemics

Background: Considering the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we aimed to report the clinical features of 427 patients with COVID-19 and the outcomes after one-month admission to major teaching hospitals in the northeast of Iran. Material(s) and Method(s): Data of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from 20 February 2020 to 20 April 2020 was analyzed using the R software. The cases and their outcomes were monitored up to one month following their admission. Result(s): Among 427 patients with a median age of 53 years (50.8% male), 81 (19%) were directly admitted to the ICU ward, and 68 (16%) died during the study. The mean (SD) lengths of hospital stay were significantly higher in the non-survivors (6 (9) days) than survivors (4 (5) days) (P = 0.018). Ventilation need was reported in 67.6% of the non-survivors and 0.8% of the survivors (P < 0.001). Cough (72.8%), fever (69.3%), and dyspnea (64.0%) were the most common symptoms. There were more comorbidities in the severe cases (73.5%) and non-survivor (77.5%). Liver and kidney damage were significantly more common in non-survivors. Ninety percent of the patients had at least one abnormal chest CT scan finding, including crazy paving and consolidation patterns (27.1%), followed by the ground-glass opacity (24.7%). Conclusion(s): Results showed that the patients' age, underlying comorbidities, levels of SpO2, and laboratory findings at the time of admission may predict the progress of the disease and can be considered mortality-related factors.Copyright © 2022 NRITLD, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Iran.

Automated diagnosis of COVID-19 using radiological modalities and Artificial Intelligence functionalities: A retrospective study based on chest HRCT database.

Background and Objective: The spread of coronavirus has been challenging for the healthcare system's proper management and diagnosis during the rapid spread and control of the infection. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), though considered the standard testing measure, has low sensitivity and is time-consuming, which restricts the fast screening of individuals. Therefore, computer tomography (CT) is used to complement the traditional approaches and provide fast and effective screening over other diagnostic methods. This work aims to appraise the importance of chest CT findings of COVID-19 and post-COVID in the diagnosis and prognosis of infected patients and to explore the ways and means to integrate CT findings for the development of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool-based predictive diagnostic techniques. Methods: The retrospective study includes a 188 patient database with COVID-19 infection confirmed by RT-PCR testing, including post-COVID patients. Patients underwent chest high-resolution computer tomography (HRCT), where the images were evaluated for common COVID-19 findings and involvement of the lung and its lobes based on the coverage region. The radiological modalities analyzed in this study may help the researchers in generating a predictive model based on AI tools for further classification with a high degree of reliability. Results: Mild to moderate ground glass opacities (GGO) with or without consolidation, crazy paving patterns, and halo signs were common COVID-19 related findings. A CT score is assigned to every patient based on the severity of lung lobe involvement. Conclusion: Typical multifocal, bilateral, and peripheral distributions of GGO are the main characteristics related to COVID-19 pneumonia. Chest HRCT can be considered a standard method for timely and efficient assessment of disease progression and management severity. With its fusion with AI tools, chest HRCT can be used as a one-stop platform for radiological investigation and automated diagnosis system.

Computed tomography manifestations and prognosis of common COVID-19 cases

Common COVID-19 cases are those with fever, respiratory symptoms, and positive imaging findings. This chapter illustrates 16 common cases with serial computed tomography examinations showing findings from the early phase to the advanced phase and then to the absorption phase. In the early phase, single or multiple ground-glass opacities (GGOs) with crazy-paving sign, mainly in the subpleural area of unilateral or bilateral lungs, are noticed, and then in the advanced phase, some of these GGOs turn into consolidations with air bronchogram inside;and finally, in the absorption phase, the GGOs and consolidations totally disappear or some parenchymal bands remain in the lung area, especially in the subpleural area.

The correlation study on chest CT features and kidney injury in severe COVID-19 pneumonia from a multicenter cohort study.

Background: Among confirmed severe COVID-19 patients, although the serum creatinine level is normal, they also have developed kidney injury. Early detection of kidney injury can guide doctors to choose drugs reasonably. Study found that COVID-19 have some special chest CT features. The study aimed to explore which chest CT features are more likely appear in severe COVID-19 and the relationship between related (special) chest CT features and kidney injury or clinical prognosis. Methods: In this retrospective study, 162 patients of severe COVID-19 from 13 medical centers in China were enrolled and divided into three groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) level: Group A (eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2), Group B (60 ml/min/1.73 m2 ≤ eGFR < 90 ml/min/1.73 m2), and Group C (eGFR ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m2). The demographics, clinical features, auxiliary examination, and clinical prognosis were collected and compared. The chest CT features and eGFR were assessed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. The influence of chest CT features on eGFR and clinical prognosis were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: Demographic and clinical features showed significant differences in age, hypertension, and fatigue among the Group A, Group B, and Group C (all P < 0.05). Auxiliary examination results revealed that leukocyte count, platelet count, C-reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, respiratory rate ≥ 30 breaths/min, and CT images rapid progression (>50%) within 24-48 h among the three groups were significantly different (all P < 0.05). Compared to Group C (all P < 0.017), Groups A and B were more likely to show crazy-paving pattern. Logistic regression analysis indicated that eGFR was an independent risk factor of the appearance of crazy-paving pattern. The eGFR and crazy-paving pattern have a mutually reinforcing relationship, and eGFR (HR = 0.549, 95% CI = 0.331-0.909, P = 0.020) and crazy-paving pattern (HR = 2.996, 95% CI = 1.010-8.714, P = 0.048) were independent risk factors of mortality. The mortality of severe COVID-19 with the appearance of crazy-paving pattern on chest CT was significantly higher than that of the patients without its appearance (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: The crazy-paving pattern is more likely to appear in the chest CT of patients with severe COVID-19. In severe COVID-19, the appearance of the crazy-paving pattern on chest CT indicates the occurrence of kidney injury and proneness to death. The crazy-paving pattern can be used by doctors as an early warning indicator and a guidance of reasonable drug selection.

Clinical Image: CT Findings in severe cases of COVID-19

Chest CT has a potential role in the diagnosis, detection of complications, and prognostication of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Implementation of appropriate precautionary safety measures, chest CT protocol optimization, and a standardized reporting system based on the pulmonary findings in this disease will enhance the clinical utility of chest CT However, chest CT examinations may lead to both false-negative and false-positive results. Furthermore, the added value of chest CT in diagnostic decision making is dependent on several dynamic variables, most notably available resources (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] tests, personal protective equipment, CT scanners, hospital and radiology personnel availability, and isolation room capacity) and the prevalence of both COVID-19 and other diseases with overlapping manifestations at chest CT.

A Case of COVID-19 in an Elderly Patient Evaluated by Axial CT Presented with Severe Signs and Symptoms: A Correlation of Severe Hypoxia with Remaining Lung Tissue

Identification of computerized tomography (CT) characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential to early diagnosis and treatment of patients and stage the disease according to the appearance of the lung field involvement. The CT chest images of a patient with severe SARS-CoV-2 were collected to assess the CT findings and characteristics. Patchy ground-glass opacities (GGO) were found in some upper lung zones with right upper lung interlobar septal thickening and formation of consolidation throughout the middle and lower zones of the lungs of Crazy Paving pattern type. The remaining lung tissue is directly proportional to the measured oxygen concentration in a severe symptomatic COVID-19 case. These findings are beneficial for early detection and assessment of the severity of SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 Pneumonia and Lung Cancer: A Challenge for the RadiologistReview of the Main Radiological Features, Differential Diagnosis and Overlapping Pathologies.

The COVID-19 pneumonia pandemic represents the most severe health emergency of the 21st century and has been monopolizing health systems' economic and human resources world-wide. Cancer patients have been suffering from the health systems' COVID-19 priority management with evidence of late diagnosis leading to patients' poor prognosis and late medical treatment. The radiologist plays a pivotal role as CT represents a non-invasive radiological technique which may help to identify possible overlap and differential diagnosis between COVID-19 pneumonia and lung cancer, which represents the most frequent cancer histology in COVID-19 patients. Our aims are: to present the main CT features of COVID-19 pneumonia; to provide the main differential diagnosis with lung cancer, chemotherapy-, immunotherapy-, and radiotherapy-induced lung disease; and to suggest practical tips and key radiological elements to identify possible overlap between COVID-19 pneumonia and lung cancer. Despite similarities or overlapping findings, the combination of clinics and some specific radiological findings, which are also identified by comparison with previous and follow-up CT scans, may guide differential diagnosis. It is crucial to search for typical COVID-19 pneumonia phase progression and typical radiological features on HRTC. The evidence of atypical findings such as lymphadenopathies and mediastinal and vessel invasion, as well as the absence of response to therapy, should arouse the suspicion of lung cancer and require contrast administration. Ground-glass areas and/or consolidations bound to radiotherapy fields or pneumonitis arising during and after oncological therapy should always arouse the suspicion of radiation-induced lung disease and chemo/immunotherapy-induced lung disease. The radiological elements we suggest for COVID-19 and lung cancer differential diagnosis may be used to develop AI protocols to guarantee an early and proper diagnosis and treatment to improve patients' quality of life and life expectancy.

Assessment of COVID-19 severity using computed tomography imaging: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Computed tomography (CT) imaging has been reported to be a reliable tool for the evaluation of suspected cases and follow-up of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Despite the generation of a considerable amount of imaging data related to COVID-19, there is a need for an updated systematic review and meta-analysis pertaining to the questions of clinical significance. We aimed to analyze the correlation between abnormal chest CT findings and disease severity in patients with COVID-19. We searched for case series/studies published in the English language until March 24, 2020 that reported the clinical and chest CT imaging features of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the PubMed database. A total of 208 studies were screened, and 71 were finally included in the meta-analysis. Study characteristics and relative risk (RR) estimates were extracted from each article and pooled using the random-effects meta-analysis model. There were a total of 6406 patients studied in a total of 71 studies;the male to female ratio was 1.08:1, and the mean age was 45.76 years;of these, 2057 patients from 14 studies were categorized into severe (24.3%) and mild (75.7%) disease groups. Imaging features that were more frequently noted in patients with severe disease than in those with mild disease included bilateral lung involvement (88.7% vs. 49.8%), scattered distribution (80.4% vs. 46.5%), multiple lobe involvement (95.7% vs. 59.6%), consolidation (88.3% vs. 60.3%), crazy-paving pattern (45.4% vs. 27.6%), air-bronchogram sign (29.7% vs. 15.1%), interlobular septal thickening (84.2% vs. 55.8%), and subpleural line (36.8% vs. 26.4%) differences between the two disease groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). For 3778 patients in 29 studies, a significant pooled RR estimate was associated with abnormal chest CT findings in patients with COVID-19 (RR, 5.46%;95% confidence interval [CI], 3.72%-8.04%;I 2 = 86%). Individual assessment of the CT features revealed that a significant pooled RR estimate was associated with pure ground-glass opacity (GGO) (RR, 1.63%;95% CI, 1.12%-2.38%;I 2 = 79%), while lower pooled RR estimates were associated with CT features like crazy-paving pattern (RR, 1.37%;95% CI, 1.10%-1.71%;I 2 = 60%), consolidation (RR, 0.47%;95% CI, 0.32%-0.7%;I 2 = 83.5%), GGO with consolidation (RR, 0.73%;95% CI, 0.52%-1.02%;I 2 = 75%), and air-bronchogram sign (RR, 0.58%;95% CI, 0.36%-0.96%;I 2 = 94%). In conclusion, the number, location, extent, and type of radiological lesions are associated with COVID-19 progression and severity, suggesting the feasibility of using CT imaging in the assessment of disease severity in all age groups and efficient allocation of resources for patient management at the institutional level. © 2021 Cancer Research, Statistics, and Treatment ;Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.

Comparison of chest CT findings in outpatient and hospitalized COVID-19 RT-PCR positive patients of Shiraz.

INTRODUCTION: Chest CT provides valuable information regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the treatment process. The present study aimed to assess the distribution of chest CT findings in outpatient (OPD) and hospitalized corona patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This was a retrospective study. Archived corona patient's data on the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) was assessed in terms of demographic data and patients' lungs' radiologic features. The OPD and hospitalized patients referred to University hospitals from February 20 to the study's date were evaluated. Data were analyzed using independent chi-square and t-test. RESULTS: Five hundred and fifty nine patients, including 187 OPD and 372 hospitalized patients, were analyzed. The frequency of normal chest CT, typical, and possible corona features was 37.4%, 40.8%, and 14.3%. The normal chest CT rate was significantly higher in outpatient versus hospitalized patients (P<0.001). Consolidation and/or ground-glass opacity were seen in 61% of patients, considerably higher in hospitalized patients (P<0.001). 2% and 15% OPD and hospitalized patients had more than 25% lung involvement, respectively. The frequency of other signs such as Crazy Paving, atoll sign, subpleural band/distortion also was significantly higher in hospitalized patients (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Most OPD patients had less than 5% lung involvement or normal chest CT. The typical features of lung involvement in COVID-19 were significantly higher in hospitalized patients.

Differences in Dynamics of Lung Computed Tomography Patterns between Survivors and Deceased Adult Patients with COVID-19.

This study's aim was to investigate CT (computed tomography) pattern dynamics differences within surviving and deceased adult patients with COVID-19, revealing new prognostic factors and reproducing already known data with our patients' cohort: 635 hospitalized patients (55.3% of them were men, 44.7%-women), of which 87.3% had a positive result of RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) at admission. The number of deaths was 53 people (69.8% of them were men and 30.2% were women). In total, more than 1500 CT examinations were performed on patients, using a GE Optima CT 660 computed tomography (General Electric Healthcare, Chicago, IL, USA). The study was performed at hospital admission, the frequency of repetitive scans further varied based on clinical need. The interpretation of the imaging data was carried out by 11 radiologists with filling in individual registration cards that take into account the scale of the lesion, the location, contours, and shape of the foci, the dominating types of changes, as well as the presence of additional findings and the dynamics of the process-a total of 45 parameters. Statistical analysis was performed using the software packages SPSS Statistics version 23.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) and R software version 3.3.2. For comparisons in pattern dynamics across hospitalization we used repeated measures general linear model with outcome and disease phase as factors. The crazy paving pattern, which is more common and has a greater contribution to the overall CT picture in different phases of the disease in deceased patients, has isolated prognostic significance and is probably a reflection of faster dynamics of the process with a long phase of progression of pulmonary parenchyma damage with an identical trend of changes in the scale of the lesion (as recovered) in this group of patients. Already known data on typical pulmonological CT manifestations of infection, frequency of occurrence, and the prognostic significance of the scale of the lesion were reproduced, new differences in the dynamics of the process between recovered and deceased adult patients were also found that may have prognostic significance and can be reflected in clinical practice.

Role of Chest CT in COVID-19.

In December 2019, a disease attributed to a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), broke out in Wuhan, China and has spread rapidly throughout the world. CT has been advocated in selected indications as a tool toward rapid and early diagnosis. The CT patterns of COVID-19 include ground glass opacities GGO, consolidation, and crazy paving. Additional signs include a "rounded morphology" of lesions, vascular enlargement sign, nodules, and fibrous stripe. Signs of healing and organization include subpleural bands, a reticular pattern, reversed halo sign and traction bronchiectasis. Cavitation and tree in bud signs are absent and pleural effusions are rare. There is a high incidence of pulmonary embolism associated with COVID-19. CT findings in COVID-19 appear to follow a predictable timeline with maximal involvement approximately 6-11 days after symptom onset. The stages of evolution include early stage (days 0-4) with GGO being the predominant abnormality, progressive stage (days 5-8) with increasing crazy paving; and peak stage (days 9-13) with predominance of consolidation and absorption phase (after day 14) with gradual absorption of consolidation with residual GGO and subpleural bands. CT findings in COVID-19 have a high sensitivity and low specificity, determined to be 98% and 25% in a retrospective study of 1014 patients. The low specificity of CT for the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia is due to the overlap of CT findings with other viral pneumonias and other infections, lung involvement in connective tissue disorders, drug reaction, pulmonary edema, and hemorrhage.

High-Resolution CT Chest Findings in Suspected COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients With Negative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay.

Objective The study was conducted with the objective of describing High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest findings of clinically suspected COVID-19 patients having a negative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay as well as prevalence and distribution of the HRCT chest manifestations consistent with the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted prospectively on a total of 48 patients with high clinical suspicion for COVID-19 and a negative RT-PCR assay that was presented to the Diagnostic Radiology Department of Capital Hospital, Islamabad from July 2020 to December 2020. These patients were included via non-probability consecutive sampling, had a positive history of contact with a known COVID-19 patient and/or any two of the following signs and symptoms; fever, cough, malaise, body aches, arthralgia, new-onset loss of taste and smell, and dyspnea or oxygen saturation less than 85%. A detailed history was sought after informed consent and all these patients underwent non-contrast HRCT chest scans that were reported by an experienced consultant radiologist. The scans showing positive features for COVID-19 pneumonia were assessed for the nature and distribution of the disease. Results Amongst 48 suspects with negative RT-PCR assay, 38 (79.2%) showed ground-glass opacities, a hallmark feature of COVID-19 pneumonia. A total of 22 (57.89%) of these 38 patients had ground-glass opacities with a crazy-paving pattern, nine (23.68%) mixed ground-glass opacities with consolidation, and seven (18.42%) had pure ground-glass opacities. Among these 79.2% suspects, ground-glass opacities were multifocal in 37 (97.37%), bilateral in 35 (92.10%), peripheral in 36 (94.74%), and dorsally located in 32 (81.6%) cases. Subpleural atelectatic bands were seen in 18 (47.36%) of these, bronchovascular markings were prominent in 15 (39.47%), and reverse halo sign was positive in nine (23.68%) cases. Out of the rest of the cases, three were diagnosed as interstitial lung disease, two as chronic lung disease, and one as active pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusion The majority of clinically suspected cases for COVID-19 showed hallmark findings on non-contrast HRCT chest scans in keeping with coronavirus disease regardless of a negative RT-PCR assay.

Retrospective analysis of chest HRCT findings in coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19)- An early experience.

CONTEXT: Corona virus disease (COVID-19) has spread in a rampant manner all over the World causing severe acute respiratory illness. Prompt recognition of disease is invaluable to ensure timely treatment, and rapid patient isolation is crucial for containment of this communicable disease. AIMS: To evaluate the performance of high resolution CT (HRCT) in the diagnosis of COVID-19. To establish the role of HRCT in prognosis of affected patients and to assess severity of disease based on HRCT findings. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This retrospective study included 216 patients admitted to our institute with a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection confirmed by nucleic acid RT-PCR testing. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients underwent non contrast HRCT chest examination and images were reconstructed in thin 1.25 mm lung window. Images were evaluated for presence of lung lesions & CT severity score was assigned to each patient based on number of lung lobes involved. RESULTS: Ground-glass opacities (GGOs) with or without consolidation, interlobular septal thickening, the "reversed halo" sign (Atoll sign) and GGO's with rounded nodular pattern are common CT features of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Typical peripheral subpleural distributions of GGO's with bilateral asymmetrical lung involvement are characteristic features of COVID19 pneumonia. Chest HRCT can be a very useful and standard imaging method to assess the severity and progression of the disease and thereby optimizing the management of patients. With increasing case load all over the world HRCT can be used as a one stop radiological investigation for the diagnosis and prognosis of corona virus disease.

A practical approach to imaging characteristics and standardized reporting of COVID-19: a radiologic review.

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a pathogen that has caused a rapidly spreading pandemic all over the world. The primary mean of transmission is inhalation with a predilection for respiratory system involvement, especially in the distal airways. The disease that arises from this novel coronavirus is named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 may have a rapid and devastating course in some cases leading to severe complications and death. Radiological imaging methods have an invaluable role in diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment. In this review, radiological imaging findings of COVID-19 have been systematically reviewed based on the published literature so far. Radiologic reporting templates are also emphasized from a different point of view, considering specific distinctive patterns of involvement.

[The role of thoracic CT scan, a triage tool for suspected COVID-19 cases]. / Place du scanner thoracique, outil de triage des cas suspects de Covid-19.

The SARS-Cov-2 pandemic took health care players across the world by surprise, including caregivers, managers and logisticians. In the absence of a vaccine or a specific therapy, detecting the disease at an early stage and isolating confirmed cases from the rest of the healthy population was soon considered to be essential. The RT-PCR technique was the gold standard method for testing for infection with the virus. It has high specificity but moderate sensitivity. It was difficult to access it during the first weeks of the pandemic. On the basis of the observations of the Chinese and Italian scientific community in particular, the recommendation was to combine use of the RT-PCR with a low-dose thoracic CT scan. In the absence of easy access to the RT-PCR, the use of the lung CT scan for a rapid triage of patients within emergency departments proved effective.

Dandelion and focal crazy paving signs: the lung CT based predictors for evaluation of the severity of coronavirus disease.

PURPOSE: To describe the radiological features of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and to explore the significant signs that indicate severity of disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected data retrospectively of 180 cases of COVID-19, from 15 January 2020 to 31 March 2020, from both the Wuhan Zhongnan and Beijing Ditan Hospitals, including 103 cases of mild and 77 cases of severe pneumonia. All patients had their first chest computed tomography scan within five days of symptom onset. The dandelion sign was defined by a focal ground glass opacity (GGO) with a central thickening of the airway wall, and the focal crazy paving sign was defined by a focal GGO with thickening of the interlobular septa. RESULTS: Consolidation presented in only 4.9% (5/103) of the mild pneumonia cases, which was significantly lower than that in severe pneumonia cases (70.1% 54/77), p < .001). Multifocal distribution and pure GGOs were observed more frequently in severe cases of pneumonia (p < .05). The dandelion sign was present in 86.4% (89/103) of the mild pneumonia cases, significantly more frequent than those with severe pneumonia (13.0% [10/77], p < .001). The focal crazy paving sign presented in 65.0% (67/103) of the mild pneumonia cases and was significantly more frequent than in severe cases (23.4% [18/77], p < .001). The hospital stay duration of the mild pneumonia group (13.6 ± 7.2 days) was significantly shorter than the severe pneumonia group (26.6 ± 11.7 days, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Consolidation, pure GGO and multifocal distribution on a CT scan were associated with severe COVID-19. The dandelion and focal crazy paving signs indicate mild COVID-19.

Current role of imaging in COVID-19 infection with recent recommendations of point of care ultrasound in the contagion: a narrative review.

Radiological studies have an important role in the diagnosis and follow up of many infectious diseases. With current pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) though the molecular analysis with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the cornerstone of diagnosis, the critical role of chest imaging including CT scan and baseline X-ray became apparent early in the course due to concern for less than optimal sensitivity of PCR testing. Delay in molecular diagnosis due to a shortage of testing kits and laboratory personnel also makes imaging an important modality in early diagnosis for appropriate triage and isolation decisions. CT scan technology is widely available in developed parts of the world but in developing countries, CT scanner is not widely available especially in rural settings. CT imaging usually requires patient movement to the radiology department and the scanner is not easy to disinfect. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has been used for many years in the assessment of critically ill patients in emergency departments and intensive care units. It is rapidly gaining popularity across many specialties and part of many general medicine training programs across the United States. It can be learned rapidly and with experienced hands, POCUS can help identify disease patterns in the lung parenchyma, and during the current pandemic has been gaining special attention. In this article, we review the most prominent imaging findings on chest X-ray and CT scan in patients with COVID-19. We also focus on the background and evolution of POCUS with studies showing the promising role of this diagnostic modality in COVID-19 infection. In addition, we describe step by step guidance on the use and disinfection of the portable ultrasound machine.

[Early differential diagnosis between COVID-19 and mycoplasma pneumonia with chest CT scan].

OBJECTIVE: To early differentiate between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and adult mycoplasma pneumonia with chest CT scan. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with COVID-19 and 21 patients with adult mycoplasma pneumonia confirmed with RT-PCR test were enrolled from Zibo First Hospital and Lanshan People's Hospital during December 1st 2019 and March 14th 2020. The early chest CT manifestations were analyzed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The interstitial changes with ground glass density shadow (GGO) were similar in two groups during first chest CT examination (P>0.05). There were more lung lobes involved on the first chest CT in COVID-19 patients, which were mostly distributed in the dorsal outer zone (23/26, 88.5%), and nearly half of them (12/26, 46.2%) were accompanied by crazy-paving sign; while the lesions in adult mycoplasma pneumonia patients were mostly distributed along the bronchi, and the bronchial wall was thickened (19/21, 90.5%), accompanied with tree buds / fog signs (19/21, 90.5%). The above CT signs were significantly different between the two kinds of pneumonia (all P<0.01). COVID-19 had a longer course compared with mycoplasma pneumonia, the disease peaks of COVID-19 patients was on day (10.5±3.8), while the disease on CT was almost absorbed on day (7.9±2.2) in adult mycoplasma pneumonia. The length of hospital stay in COVID-19 patients was significantly longer than that of mycoplasma pneumonia patients [(19.5±4.3) d vs (7.9±2.2) d, P<0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: The lesions of adult mycoplasma pneumonia are mostly distributed along the bronchi with tree buds/fog signs, while the lesions of COVID-19 are mainly distributed in the dorsal outer zone accompanied by crazy-paving sign, which can early distinguish two diseases.