[Imaging findings of COVID-19 pneumonia, focusing on CT]

ABSTRACT

At the time of writing (end of July 2020), the number of infected or suspected cases of novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has been increasing in various medical institutions as the second wave of infection approaches. In the "Diagnostic Imaging Surveillance of Viral Pneumonia" conducted by the Japanese Society of Radiology since March 2020, the number of suspected cases of viral pneumonia by chest computed tomography (CT) has been increasing since July of this year, almost in parallel with the increasing trend in the number of newly infected patients nationwide. While limitations in the sensitivity of PCR and antigen tests have been pointed out, there is a growing consensus in clinical practice that diagnostic imaging, especially chest CT, is useful for the adjunctive diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia and for follow-up during the course of treatment. In this article, we summarize the significance of chest CT in the diagnosis and management of COVID-19 pneumonia and introduce the findings of typical images.