Can Chest CT Features Distinguish Patients With Negative From Those With Positive Initial RT-PCR Results for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)?

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to explore the value of CT in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia, especially for patients who have negative initial results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia from January 19, 2020, to February 20, 2020, were included. All patients underwent chest CT and swab RT-PCR tests within 3 days. Patients were divided into groups with negative (seven patients) and positive (14 patients) initial RT-PCR results. The imaging findings in both groups were recorded and compared. RESULTS. Twenty-one patients with symptoms (nine men, 12 women; age range, 26-90 years) were evaluated. Most of the COVID-19 lesions were located in multiple lobes (67%) in both lungs (72%) in our study. The main CT features were ground-glass opacity (95%) and consolidation (72%) with a subpleural distribution (100%). Otherwise, 33% of patients had other lesions around the bronchovascular bundle. The other CT features included air bronchogram (57%), vascular enlargement (67%), interlobular septal thickening (62%), and pleural effusions (19%). Compared with that in the group with positive initial RT-PCR results, CT of the group with negative initial RT-PCR results was less likely to show pulmonary consolidation (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION. The less pulmonary consolidation found at CT, the greater is the possibility of negative initial RT-PCR results. Chest CT is important in the screening of patients in whom disease is clinically suspected, especially those who have negative initial RT-PCR results.

Automated summary

In this study, chest CT was found to be valuable in diagnosing COVID-19 pneumonia, especially for patients with negative initial RT-PCR results. Most COVID-19 lesions were located in multiple lobes in both lungs, with ground-glass opacity and consolidation being the main CT features. Patients with negative initial RT-PCR results were less likely to show pulmonary consolidation on CT.