Chest CT in COVID-19 pneumonia: A review of current knowledge

Diagn Interv Imaging. 2020 Jul-Aug;101(7-8):431-437. doi: 10.1016/j.diii.2020.06.001. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential role of chest computed tomography (CT) examination in patient triage in the emergency departments, allowing them to be referred to "COVID" or "non-COVID" wards. Initial chest CT examination must be performed without intravenous administration of iodinated contrast material, but contrast material administration is required when pulmonary embolism is suspected, which seems to be frequent in severe forms of the disease. Typical CT features consist of bilateral ground-glass opacities with peripheral, posterior and basal predominance. Lung disease extent on CT correlates with clinical severity. Artificial intelligence could assist radiologists for diagnosis and prognosis evaluation.

Keywords: COVID-19; Pulmonary embolism; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Tomography; X-ray computed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Child
  • Contrast Media
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnostic imaging*
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Hospital Units / classification
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pulmonary Embolism / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pulmonary Embolism / etiology
  • Radiography, Thoracic / methods
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*
  • Triage

Substances

  • Contrast Media