Abstract
Purpose: To investigate chest computed tomography (CT) findings in asymptomatic patients tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Material and methods: The chest CT images of 64 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who were RT-PCR test-positive but asymptomatic were retrospectively evaluated for the appearance and distribution of abnormal parenchymal findings.
Results: Of the 64 patients (mean age 59.4 ± 12; range 23-85), 42 (65%) were female, and 22 (35%) were male, and 16 (25%) of the patients had no abnormal findings on chest CT. Of the remaining 48 patients, lung involvement was bilateral in 32 (67%). Right upper lobe in 26 (54%), right middle lobe in 20 (42%), right lower lobe in 38 (79%), left upper lobe in 27 (56%), and left lower lobe were affected in 34 (71%) patients. The mean number of opacities detected in patients was 7.5 ± 5.7. The opacities were located only peripherally/subpleural in 22 (46%), only centrally/peribronchovascular in 5 (10%), and mixed in 21 (44%) patients. The frequency of pure ground glass opacities (GGO) was 63% GGO with a crazy-paving pattern or consolidation was 33%. Pure consolidation was detected in only two (4%) patients. Parenchymal opacities were only round in 27 (56%), only geographic demarcated in 3 (6%), only patchy in 2 (4%), and mixed in 16 (33%) patients.
Conclusion: Chest CT was normal in only one-quarter of the asymptomatic patients. CT findings in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients were often peripherally located, mostly round-shaped GGO.
Keywords: Asymptomatic; COVID-19; Computed tomography; Coronavirus disease; SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, coronavirus disease, SARS-CoV-2., Computed tomography, Asymptomatic, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, lung involvement, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, RT-PCR, Computed tomography, Chest computed tomography, polymerase chain reaction, Chest CT, Asymptomatic, ground glass opacities, male, female, Patient, age, reverse transcription, GGO, distribution, asymptomatic patients, consolidation, patients, asymptomatic patient, Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR test, Frequency, Chest CT images, Asymptomatic COVID-19, Chain Reaction, Ground glass opacity, acute respiratory syndrome, right lower lobe, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, crazy-paving pattern, appearance, CT findings, material, lower lobe, positive, Chest CT image, right, left lower lobe, left upper lobe, right middle lobe, Right upper lobe, upper lobe, tested, affected, the patient, evaluated, had no, CT finding, parenchymal, patchy, 【제목키워드】 Patient, Asymptomatic COVID-19, positive, CT finding,