Severe COVID-19 pneumonia leads to post-COVID-19 lung abnormalities on follow-up CT scans

Takuya Hino; Mizuki Nishino; Vladimir I. Valtchinov; Staci Gagne; Elizabeth Gay; Noriaki Wada; Shu Chi Tseng; Bruno Madore; Charles R.G. Guttmann; Kousei Ishigami; Yi Li; David C. Christiani; Gary M. Hunninghake; Bruce D. Levy; Kenneth M. Kaye; Hiroto Hatabu

European Journal of Radiology Open (Jan 2023)

Severe COVID-19 pneumonia leads to post-COVID-19 lung abnormalities on follow-up CT scans

Takuya Hino,
Mizuki Nishino,
Vladimir I. Valtchinov,
Staci Gagne,
Elizabeth Gay,
Noriaki Wada,
Shu Chi Tseng,
Bruno Madore,
Charles R.G. Guttmann,
Kousei Ishigami,
Yi Li,
David C. Christiani,
Gary M. Hunninghake,
Bruce D. Levy,
Kenneth M. Kaye,
Hiroto Hatabu

Affiliations

Takuya Hino: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3–1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 8128582, Japan
Mizuki Nishino: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Vladimir I. Valtchinov: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Staci Gagne: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Elizabeth Gay: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Noriaki Wada: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Shu Chi Tseng: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Bruno Madore: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Charles R.G. Guttmann: Center for Neurological Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Kousei Ishigami: Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3–1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 8128582, Japan
Yi Li: Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
David C. Christiani: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Gary M. Hunninghake: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Bruce D. Levy: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Kenneth M. Kaye: Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Hiroto Hatabu: Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Corresponding author.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10
p. 100483

Abstract

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Purpose: To investigate the association of the maximal severity of pneumonia on CT scans obtained within 6-week of diagnosis with the subsequent development of post-COVID-19 lung abnormalities (Co-LA). Methods: COVID-19 patients diagnosed at our hospital between March 2020 and September 2021 were studied retrospectively. The patients were included if they had (1) at least one chest CT scan available within 6-week of diagnosis; and (2) at least one follow-up chest CT scan available ≥ 6 months after diagnosis, which were evaluated by two independent radiologists. Pneumonia Severity Categories were assigned on CT at diagnosis according to the CT patterns of pneumonia and extent as: 1) no pneumonia (Estimated Extent, 0%); 2) non-extensive pneumonia (GGO and OP, 40%). Co-LA on follow-up CT scans, categorized using a 3-point Co-LA Score (0, No Co-LA; 1, Indeterminate Co-LA; and 2, Co-LA). Results: Out of 132 patients, 42 patients (32%) developed Co-LA on their follow-up CT scans 6–24 months post diagnosis. The severity of COVID-19 pneumonia was associated with Co-LA: In 47 patients with extensive pneumonia, 33 patients (70%) developed Co-LA, of whom 18 (55%) developed fibrotic Co-LA. In 52 with non-extensive pneumonia, 9 (17%) developed Co-LA: In 33 with no pneumonia, none (0%) developed Co-LA. Conclusions: Higher severity of pneumonia at diagnosis was associated with the increased risk of development of Co-LA after 6–24 months of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Published in European Journal of Radiology Open

ISSN: 2352-0477 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General): Medical physics. Medical radiology. Nuclear medicine
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/european-journal-of-radiology-open/

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