Computed Tomography of the Chest in COVID-19: A Pictorial Review of Indian Patients

Abstract

The Coronavirus disease 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has evolved into a pandemic and has affected more than 130 million people globally to date and continues to infect more. The disease primarily involves the respiratory system and manifests as fever, dry cough, dyspnea, and myalgia. Nearly half of the infected patients may be asymptomatic. The real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) performed on the blood or respiratory samples is the diagnostic test with high accuracy. Although imaging with CT is not routinely indicated in this disease, this modality may provide a quick answer and assist in making a diagnosis in certain situations. In addition, imaging with CT also aids in evaluating the progress of the disease and in prognostication. A thorough knowledge of the common findings on the CT scan helps a radiologist in suggesting a diagnosis when it is performed in unsuspected patients. In this review, we describe the common and uncommon chest findings of COVID-19 on the CT scan.

Keywords

• severe acute respiratory syndrome
• coronavirus disease
• covid-19
• consolidation
• ground glass opacity