Title:The Role of Chest High Resolution CT and RT-PCR in Diagnosis of Different Stages of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pneumonia
Volume: 2
Author(s): Mohamed N.E. Kassem*Doaa T. Masallat
Affiliation:
- Department of Radiology, Damietta hospital, Al-Azhar University, Egypt and Czech Rehabilitation Hospital, Royal health Group, Al-Ain,United Arab Emirates
Keywords:
HRCT, RT-PCR, COVID-19, Ground glass opacities, Consolidation, Pneumonia.
Abstract: Purpose:
The purpose of this study is to investigate how RT-PCR (real time–polymerase-chain-reaction) and chest High-Resolution Computed Tomography
(HRCT) can detect COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) disease in the early, progressive and severe stages, as well as patient’s outcome.
Methods:
We perform a prospective study with chest HRCT on 206 patients with positive RT-PCR test. The patients were divided into three groups; early
stage (100 patients), progressive stage (70 patients) and severe stage (36 patients).
Results:
The early stage involved typical category (COVID-19 Reporting and Data System, CO-RADS 5, 34 cases - 34%), indeterminate category (CORADS
3, six cases - 6%), atypical category (CO-RADS 4, ten cases - 10%) and normal chest HRCT imaging (CO-RADS 1, 50 cases - 50%). The
progressive stage involved a typical category (CO-RADS 5, 70 cases, 100%), The severe stage involved a typical category (CO-RADS 5, 36 cases,
100%).
Conclusion:
RT-PCR is the gold standard and specific tool for confirming COVID-19 infection. Combination of RT-PCR and chest HRCT is used for the early
diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. Chest HRCT is positive in 50% of patients in the early stage of COVID-19. Chest HRCT is not only detecting
pulmonary parenchymal changes but also determining patient’s outcome in the progressive and severe stages of COVID-19 (CO-RADS 5).
Patients with progressive stage will not need ventilator and patients with severe stage should receive ventilator.
