J Korean Soc Radiol.  2020 May;81(3):591-603. 10.3348/jksr.2020.81.3.591.

Clinical and Radiological Findings of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia: 51 Adult Patients from a Single Center in Daegu, South Korea

• Lee SE
• Kim YS

• KMID: 2502354
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2020.81.3.591

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical features and chest computed tomography (CT) findings of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.
Materials and Methods
An Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective review was performed for 51 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia patients. Patients were divided into two groups depending on their clinical status: mild and severe. Clinical characteristics and chest CT findings were compared between the two groups.
Results
Among the 51 patients (22 men, 29 women; mean age, 56.5 ± 16 years; range, 22–88 years), 37 (72.5%) were in the mild group and 14 (27.5%) were in the severe group. The patients in the severe group (68.7 ± 12.5 years) were older than the patients in the mild group (51.8 ± 14.9 years, p < 0.001). Premorbid conditions and decreased lymphocyte counts were more often observed in the severe group than in the mild group (71% vs. 41%, p = 0.049 and 86% vs. 32%, p = 0.001, respectively). On chest CT, most patients exhibited a mixed ground-glass opacification (GGO) with consolidation (76%) or a GGO (22%) pattern. The majority of lesions were predominantly bilateral in the lower lung with a posterior, peripheral distribution. The patients in the severe group had higher severity scores than those in the mild group.
Conclusion
Patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia have typical chest CT findings that provide important information regarding expected disease severity.

Keyword

Coronavirus Disease 2019; COVID-19; Pneumonia; Computed Tomography, X-Ray; Republic of Korea