Study of the Correlation between CT Pattern and Clinical Presentation in Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Pneumonia
Kareem Y Mostafa, Khaled M Wagih, Ashraf A Elmaraghy- General Medicine
Abstract
Background
In Febreury, 2020 with start of COVID pandemic, chest CT outperformed lab testing in the diagnosis of 2019 novel corona virus disease (COVID-19). The researchers concluded that CT should be used as the primary screening tool for COVID-19 Early identification and treatment are therefore essential in COVID-19 management.
Patients & Methods
We Observationally collected the records of patients with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 in Ain-Shams University Hospitals from 12th of June 2021 till 12th of August 2021. A total of 100 patients with consecutively laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. All patients performed HRCT chest in the time of their presentations and the different CT findings were mentioned and severity of the disease were calculated according to summation of the areas affected in different lung lobes in both lobes using the Total Severity Score and accordingly cases classified into mild, moderate and severe. All clinical data including non-respiratory & respiratory symptoms were recorded as well as oxygen saturation and correlated with CT severity.
Results
Mean age was 59.22 ±13.76 years; 65% were males and 35% were females. Non-respiratory symptoms only were present in 10 % of cases and respiratory symptoms were present in 90% of cases. The most common chest symptom was cough in 72% of our patients followed by dyspnea in 65% of them. The most common non-respiratory manifestations, were fever in 60 %, followed by fatigue in 15%, headache in 15% and diarrhea in 27% of patients. The most common CT findings were bilateral GGOs (63%), unilateral GGOs (17 %), both consolidation and GGOs (6%), while 9% had GGOs and crazy paving. According to severity index, 52 patients (52 %) were mild, 38 patients (38 %) were moderate and 10 patients (10 %) were advanced. There was a highly significant negative relation between radiological severity and oxygen saturation i.e., the more the severity score, the lower the oxygen saturation.
Conclusion
Bilateral peripheral (Ground Glass Opacities) GGO is the most common finding in COVID. CT severity score correlate significantly with Body aches, cough & dyspneawith negative correlation between CT severity score and oxygen saturation.