tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Heart Lung
. 2022 Mar 10;54:19-26.
doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2022.03.006. Online ahead of print.
Mediastinal lymph node enlargement in COVID-19: Relationships with mortality and CT findings
Ahmet Turan Kaya[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Burcu Akman[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: The presence of mediastinal lymph node enlargement (MLNE) in computed tomography (CT) of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients can be associated with disease severity.
Objectives: To investigate the relationship between MLNE with intensive care unit admission (ICU), mortality rates, and CT findings, especially in early-stage COVID-19 patients.
Methods: This single-center retrospective case-control study, included aged ≥18 years, 250 COVID-19 patients with positive RT-PCR tests. We included two patient groups, 125/250 with and without MLNE. Demographic information of the patients, laboratory findings, length of stay in hospital or ICU, mortality rates, initial CT imaging findings and CT severity scores (CT-SS) were recorded and their relationship with MLNE was investigated.
Results: Patients with MLNE were older (69.61 ± 11.16; p < 0.001) and had a higher CT-SS (14.67 ± 7.55; p < 0.001). There was a significant difference between the presence of MLNE with mortality (58/77, 75.3%; p < 0.001) and ICU admission (49/61, 80.3%; p < 0.001). Also, a statistical association was found between MLNE with ICU admission (p = 0.001) and (p < 0.001) mortality rates in patients with CORADS≤2 CT findings. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, MLNE was 8.8-fold (95% CI: 1.62-47.86, p = 0.01) more correlated with linear opacity and 0.25-fold with bronchial wall thickening (95% CI: 0.07-0.92, p = 0.04).
Conclusion: Mediastinal lymph node enlargement is an important CT finding that can predict the severe prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Even in patients without lung involvement on initial CT, the presence of MLNE should be carefully examined as it is associated with disease severity.
Keywords: COVID-19; CT severity score; Computed tomography; Mediastinal lymph node enlargement.
. 2022 Mar 10;54:19-26.
doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2022.03.006. Online ahead of print.
Mediastinal lymph node enlargement in COVID-19: Relationships with mortality and CT findings
Ahmet Turan Kaya[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Burcu Akman[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35306375
- DOI: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2022.03.006
Abstract
Background: The presence of mediastinal lymph node enlargement (MLNE) in computed tomography (CT) of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients can be associated with disease severity.
Objectives: To investigate the relationship between MLNE with intensive care unit admission (ICU), mortality rates, and CT findings, especially in early-stage COVID-19 patients.
Methods: This single-center retrospective case-control study, included aged ≥18 years, 250 COVID-19 patients with positive RT-PCR tests. We included two patient groups, 125/250 with and without MLNE. Demographic information of the patients, laboratory findings, length of stay in hospital or ICU, mortality rates, initial CT imaging findings and CT severity scores (CT-SS) were recorded and their relationship with MLNE was investigated.
Results: Patients with MLNE were older (69.61 ± 11.16; p < 0.001) and had a higher CT-SS (14.67 ± 7.55; p < 0.001). There was a significant difference between the presence of MLNE with mortality (58/77, 75.3%; p < 0.001) and ICU admission (49/61, 80.3%; p < 0.001). Also, a statistical association was found between MLNE with ICU admission (p = 0.001) and (p < 0.001) mortality rates in patients with CORADS≤2 CT findings. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, MLNE was 8.8-fold (95% CI: 1.62-47.86, p = 0.01) more correlated with linear opacity and 0.25-fold with bronchial wall thickening (95% CI: 0.07-0.92, p = 0.04).
Conclusion: Mediastinal lymph node enlargement is an important CT finding that can predict the severe prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Even in patients without lung involvement on initial CT, the presence of MLNE should be carefully examined as it is associated with disease severity.
Keywords: COVID-19; CT severity score; Computed tomography; Mediastinal lymph node enlargement.