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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.
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