CHEST CT IMAGING FEATURES OF EARLY PHASE COVID-19 PNEUMONIA

Berrin Erok^{1, *}, Ali Önder Atca²,

¹Department of  Radiology,  Prof Dr Cemil Tascıoglu City Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey - ²Department of Radiology, Altınbas University School of Medicine Bahcelievler Medical Park Hospital,  İstanbul, Turkey

Introduction: COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a viral infectious disease presenting with primarily pulmonary involvement. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), a strain of coronavirus. A wide variety of chest computed tomography (CT) findings have been reported in patients with Covid-19 pneumonia. However, these CT features are not specific for Covid-19 and are similar to various other viral pneumonia, atypical pneumonia or organizing pneumonia of different etiologies. For differentiation of Covid-19 pneumonia, some more prevelant CT manifestations have been demonstrated in various studies comparing Covid-19 and non-Covid viral pneumonia. 

Materials and Methods: We aimed to present the initial chest CT findings observed in our patients with rRT-PCR test-confirmed COVID-19, from the March 15 to August 15, 2020 were presented. 

Results: As shown in previous reports, our experience has also showed that the most common and typical chest CT manifestations of Covid-19 are multifocal ground glass opacities (GGOs) with peripheral/subpleural distribution predominantly starting from middle&lower zones, with second most frequent is reticulation and consolidation. Based our experience, we have recognized that in Covid 19 pneumonia perilesional pulmonary vascular prominence, isolated nodular involvements and reversed halo sign are more prevelant when compared with non-Covid viral pneumonia. 

Conclusion: We believe that being familier with the common and typical CT features of Covid-19 pneumonia and the recognition of unusual findings will be helpful in the management of Covid-19 pneumonia.