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Current Medical Imaging

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1573-4056
ISSN (Online): 1875-6603

Research Article

Usefulness of High-Resolution Computed Tomography in Early Diagnosis of Patients with Suspected COVID-19

Author(s): Alma Angélica Ronzón-Ronzón, Brenda Aida Acevedo Salinas, José Agustín Mata Chapol, Dalia María Soto Valdez, Silvia Refugio Sánchez, Briceida López Martínez, Israel Parra-Ortega and Jessie Zurita-Cruz*

Volume 18, Issue 14, 2022

Published on: 11 August, 2022

Article ID: e060622205670 Pages: 7

DOI: 10.2174/1573405618666220606161924

Price: $65

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Abstract

Background: Diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is mainly based on molecular testing. General population studies have shown that chest Computed Tomography (CT) can also be useful.

Objective: The study aims to examine the usefulness of high-resolution chest CT for early diagnosis of patients with suspected COVID-19.

Design And Setting: This is a cross-sectional study from May 1, 2020, to August 31, 2021, at the COVID Hospital, Mexico City.

Methods: This study examined the clinical, high-resolution chest CT imaging, and laboratory data of 160 patients who were suspected to have COVID-19. Patients with positive Reverse Transcription- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing and those with negative RT-PCR testing but clinical data compatible with COVID-19 and positive antibody testing were considered to have COVID-19 (positive). Sensitivity and specificity of CT for diagnosis of COVID-19 were calculated. p < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Median age of 160 study patients was 58 years. The proportion of patients with groundglass pattern was significantly higher in patients with COVID-19 than in those without COVID (65.1% versus 0%; P = 0.005). COVID-19 was ruled out in sixteen (11.1%). Only four of the 132 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (3.0%) did not show CT alterations (p < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of CT for COVID-19 diagnosis were 96.7% and 42.8%, respectively.

Conclusions: Chest CT can identify patients with COVID-19, as characteristic disease patterns are observed on CT in the early disease stage.

Keywords: Diagnosis, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, computed tomography, sensitivity, specificity.

Graphical Abstract

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