Evaluation of Non-COVID-19 CT Scan Findings Detected on CT Images Performed due to Suspected COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Retrospective Analysis of 6669 Cases

Abstract

Aim: For about a few years, COVID-19 infection has continued to play a significant role in our lives as a serious threat and concern with the increase in the number of cases. During this pandemic stage, chest CT has been proven to have great importance for rapid and accurate diagnosis and a pivotal role in assisting the clinical management of patients with uncertain clinical scenarios. Material and Methods: The present retrospective study aimed to inform the clinicians who referred chest CT and the radiologists reporting these CTs about the frequency and variety of non-COVID-19 findings in patients who underwent chest CT examination with the suspicion of COVID-19 pneumonia. This retrospective study was approved by our Institutional Ethics Committee. The requirement for written informed consent was waived. Our study included 6669 patients who applied to the emergency room with the suspicion of COVID-19 infection between March 20th and April 20th, 2020. The inclusion criteria were patients who had suspicious symptoms of having COVID-19 infection and/or had close contact with a patient with COVID-19 infection and (ii) patients who underwent chest CT. They evaluated CT scans individually, and all non-COVID-19 findings (NCF) were recorded manually Results: The study population consisted of 6669 consecutive patients (males 55.5% and females 44.5%). The overall mean age was 41.7 years [SD 15.1]. There were incidental non-COVID-19 findings in 3159 (47.4%) patients and none in 3510 (52.6%) patients Conclusions: CT examinations performed in patients with suspected COVID-19 pneumonia should be examined in detail regarding clinically significant findings. It is vital to take necessary precautions in advance regarding pathologies that may be clinically significant regarding appropriate treatment and follow-up planning at the appropriate time. It is crucial that the clues are stated in the radiology report so that the clinician can make appropriate management regarding these pathologies.