COVID-19 findings identified in chest computed tomography: a pictorial essay
Marcela Emer Egypto Rosa, Marina Justi Rosa de Matos, Renata Silveira Olimpio de Paula Furtado, Vanessa Mizubuti Brito, Lucas Tadashi Wada Amaral, Gabriel Laverdi Beraldo, Eduardo Kaiser Ururahy Nunes Fonseca, Rodrigo Caruso Chate, Rodrigo Bastos Duarte Passos, Gustavo Borges da Silva Teles, Murilo Marques Almeida Silva, Patrícia Yokoo, Elaine Yanata, Hamilton Shoji, Gilberto Szarf, Marcelo Buarque de Gusmão Funari
Abstract
The disease caused by the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been recently described and became a health issue worldwide. Its diagnosis of certainty is given by polymerase chain reaction. High-resolution computed tomography, however, is useful in the current context of pandemic, especially for the most severe cases, in assessing disease extent, possible differential diagnoses and searching complications. In patients with suspected clinical symptoms and typical imaging findings, in which there is still no laboratory test result, or polymerase chain reaction is not available, the role of this test is still discussed. In addition, it is important to note that part of the patients present false-negative laboratory tests, especially in initial cases, which can delay isolation, favoring the spread of the disease. Thus, knowledge about the COVID-19 and its imaging manifestations is extremely relevant for all physicians involved in the patient care, clinicians or radiologists.