Published online Aug 6, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i15.3177
Peer-review started: April 26, 2020
First decision: July 3, 2020
Revised: July 10, 2020
Accepted: July 23, 2020
Article in press: July 23, 2020
Published online: August 6, 2020
Processing time: 101 Days and 14 Hours
In December 2019 a novel coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was identified and the disease associated was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Fever, cough, myalgia, fatigue associated to dyspnea represent most common clinical symptoms of the disease. The reference standard for diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection is real time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction test applied on respiratory tract specimens. Despite of lower specificity, chest computed tomography (CT), as reported in manifold scientific studies, showed high sensitivity, therefore it may help in the early detection, management and follow-up of COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients affected by COVID-19 pneumonia usually showed on chest CT some typical features, such as: Bilateral ground glass opacities characterized by multilobe involvement with posterior and peripheral distribution; parenchymal consolidations with or without air bronchogram; interlobular septal thickening; crazy paving pattern, represented by interlobular and intralobular septal thickening surrounded by ground-glass opacities; subsegmental pulmonary vessels enlargement (> 3 mm). Halo sign, reversed halo sign, cavitation and pleural or pericardial effusion represent some of atypical findings of COVID-19 pneumonia. On the other hand lymphadenopathy’s and bronchiectasis’ frequency is unclear, indeed conflicting data emerged in literature. Radiologists play a key role in recognition of high suspicious findings of COVID-19 on chest CT, both typical and atypical ones. Thus, the aim of this review is to illustrate typical and atypical CT findings of COVID-19.
Core tip: This review makes an effort to summarize typical and atypical chest computed tomography features in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia associated to the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 19. The content of the article will prove to be helpful for readers to recognize the high suspicious chest computed tomography findings in COVID-19 pneumonia.