The Most Common Radiological and Anatomical Changes of the Lung in Chest X-Ray and CT-Scan in COVID-19 Infected Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Abstract

Background: Pneumonia is the most frequently observed clinical manifestation of coronavirus-related respiratory illness, with imaging results typically revealing atypical or organizing pneumonia. Chest X-rays and CT scans are highly beneficial for diagnosing and monitoring COVID-19, as they offer a detailed insight into the disease's progression. The purpose of this study is to analyze the most common anatomical abnormalities observed in the chest X-rays and CT scans of COVID-19 patients at King Khalid Hospital in Najran, Saudi Arabia, from May 2022 to May 2023.

Material and methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on 200 patients who tested positive for COVID-19. One hundred chest X-rays and one hundred CT-scan radiographs were collected and analyzed during the mentioned period. Topographic data and symptoms of patients were also reported from the archive and communication system PACS and analyzed using the SPSS software program.

Result: The average age of 200 patients with COVID-19 was 39.65± 12.43 years, with most of them being over 60 years old. Most patients were male (n=123) which accounted for 61.5% of the total, while females accounted for 38.5% (n=77). The most common symptoms were cough and fever, present in 26% of the patients. Chest x-ray findings showed that bilateral ground glassy appearance was the most common, seen in 28% of the patients. CT-scan images revealed that the predominant findings were ground glassy appearance and consolidation, present in 30% of the patients.

Conclusions: Pulmonary findings in COVID-19 patients include bilateral ground glass opacities with consolidations.