Three to six-months Follow-up Chest CT Findings after COVID-19 Pneumonitis, incidence of complications and correlation to different risk factors

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2, has become a global pandemic. This study was prospective and retrospective done at Diagnostic Radiology Department-Ain Shams University Hospitals. Fifty patients confirmed with positive PCR results underwent initial CT chest and follow up scans after 3-6 months providing us with reliable data to assess pulmonary sequelae and explore the risk factors for fibrotic-like changes in the lung of the survivors of COVID-19 pneumonitis. The study included 26 female patients and 24 male patients. Their mean age was 54 years. All patients were evaluated for: (I): Incidence of complications (residual fibrotic like changes in their follow up CT chest scans). (II): Correlation to different risk factors such as (smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, pre-existing pulmonary disease, pre-existing renal disease and steroid therapy). Results demonstrated that 56% of cases showed residual changes in their follow up chest CT scans in the form of residual fibrotic changes (atelectatic, fibrotic bands, tractional bronchiectasis, pleural plaques, nodules or thickening) and residual areas of ground glass opacities or consolidation, while 44% of cases showed total resolution of the disease process.