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IMAGING IN COVID-19
DR.G.M.Vignesh Krishna.,MD.RD.,
Consultant Radiologist
Indian Scan, Chennai
INTRODUCTION TO COVID-19
The official name of the illness is COVID-19 (a shortening of COronaVIrus Disease-
2019) and it is caused by the "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2"
(SARS-CoV-2).
WHO announced COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on 11 March 2020.
As of October 2020, the number of confirmed case of COVID-19 globally is nearly 40
million affecting almost every territory and the number of deaths from COVID-19
exceeds 1.1 million globally.
COVID-19 can either be symptomatic or asymptomatic. Symptoms can be systemic
and/or limited to respiratory system. Common symptoms are fever, anosmia, cough,
fatigue, sputum production and shortness of breath.
Some also experience mild gastrointestinal or cardiovascular symptoms, although
these are less common.
RADIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF COVID-19
Chest X-Rays are of less diagnostic value in initial stages, whereas CT findings may be
present even before the onset of symptom.
Chest X-Ray may show diffuse bilateral coalescent opacities in the intermediate to
advanced stages of the disease.
The characteristic patterns of COVID-19 on CT imaging are ground glass opacification
(GGO), airspace opacities, crazy paving pattern, vascular dilatation, traction
bronchiectasis and subpleural bands.
The involvement is predominantly bilateral, peripheral distribution and multilobar
(more than one lobe).
In majority of the affected patients, involvement of multiple lobes, particularly the
lower lobes with a peripheral or posterior distribution (or both) were reported.
Bilateral lung involvement with a consolidative pattern is reported in patients with
moderate-severe symptoms and a predominantly ground-glass pattern is reported in
patients with mild symptoms.