tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Pol J Radiol
. 2021 Mar 22;86:e172-e176.
doi: 10.5114/pjr.2021.104856. eCollection 2021.
COVID-19: high-resolution computed tomography findings in the first 64 patients admitted to the Hospital of Cremona, the epicentre of the pandemic in Europe
Vittorio Sabatino[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Pietro Sergio[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Margherita Muri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ilaria Zangrandi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Giuseppe Voltini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Giancarlo Bosio[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Monia Betti[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Francesca Baglivo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Enrico Martinelli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Angelo Pan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Matteo Giorgi Pierfranceschi[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Antonio Corvino[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Laura Romanini[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Purpose: In December 2019, a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified as being responsible for the pulmonary infection called COVID-19. On 21 February 2020, the first autochthonous case of COVID-19 was detected in Italy. Our goal is to report the most common chest computed tomography (CT) findings identified in 64 patients, in the initial phase of COVID-19.
Methods: Sixty-four chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) examinations performed at the Radiology Unit of the Hospital of Cremona, from 22 to 29 February 2020, of 64 patients during first week of hospitalization for COVID-19 were retrospectively evaluated. All cases were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Image analysis was independently conducted by 2 radiologists with 10 years and 1 year of experience in chest imaging. The inter-observer agreement was obtained by applying a Cohen's ? test.
Results: The average age of patients was 67.1 years (? 12.2); men 42 (66%). HRCT was performed on the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] (? 1.5) day of hospitalization. More frequently, the initial CT changes of the lung show more or less extensive areas of ground-glass, as single pattern or with parenchymal consolidations. Coronavirus lung involvement appears very frequently multi-lobar, bilateral, and it concerns both subpleural and central regions. An excellent agreement (?: 0.88-1, CI: 0.79-1.01, p < 0.05) concerning CT findings between the 2 operators was reached.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that detection of the most frequent pulmonary CT-scan changes, in the early stages of COVID-19, can be performed, with excellent agreement, among readers with different experience, and consequently attribute their exact diagnostic value, in an appropriate clinical and environmental exposure setting.
Keywords: COVID-19; HRCT; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; epidemic; pulmonary infection.
. 2021 Mar 22;86:e172-e176.
doi: 10.5114/pjr.2021.104856. eCollection 2021.
COVID-19: high-resolution computed tomography findings in the first 64 patients admitted to the Hospital of Cremona, the epicentre of the pandemic in Europe
Vittorio Sabatino[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Pietro Sergio[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Margherita Muri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ilaria Zangrandi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Giuseppe Voltini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Giancarlo Bosio[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Monia Betti[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Francesca Baglivo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Enrico Martinelli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Angelo Pan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Matteo Giorgi Pierfranceschi[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Antonio Corvino[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Laura Romanini[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33828629
- PMCID: PMC8018267
- DOI: 10.5114/pjr.2021.104856
Abstract
Purpose: In December 2019, a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified as being responsible for the pulmonary infection called COVID-19. On 21 February 2020, the first autochthonous case of COVID-19 was detected in Italy. Our goal is to report the most common chest computed tomography (CT) findings identified in 64 patients, in the initial phase of COVID-19.
Methods: Sixty-four chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) examinations performed at the Radiology Unit of the Hospital of Cremona, from 22 to 29 February 2020, of 64 patients during first week of hospitalization for COVID-19 were retrospectively evaluated. All cases were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Image analysis was independently conducted by 2 radiologists with 10 years and 1 year of experience in chest imaging. The inter-observer agreement was obtained by applying a Cohen's ? test.
Results: The average age of patients was 67.1 years (? 12.2); men 42 (66%). HRCT was performed on the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] (? 1.5) day of hospitalization. More frequently, the initial CT changes of the lung show more or less extensive areas of ground-glass, as single pattern or with parenchymal consolidations. Coronavirus lung involvement appears very frequently multi-lobar, bilateral, and it concerns both subpleural and central regions. An excellent agreement (?: 0.88-1, CI: 0.79-1.01, p < 0.05) concerning CT findings between the 2 operators was reached.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that detection of the most frequent pulmonary CT-scan changes, in the early stages of COVID-19, can be performed, with excellent agreement, among readers with different experience, and consequently attribute their exact diagnostic value, in an appropriate clinical and environmental exposure setting.
Keywords: COVID-19; HRCT; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; epidemic; pulmonary infection.