COVID-19 variant radiological findings with high lightening other coronavirus family (SARS and MERS) findings: radiological impact and findings spectrum of corona virus (COVID-19) with comparison to SARS and MERS

BACKGROUND: Chest CT is remarkably considered as an imminent diagnostic tool and follow-up study in pulmonary changes in COVID-19 patients; being familiar to other coronavirus family CT findings, this improve our diagnostic experience and hence enhance our ability to early diagnose and combat the outbreak of COVID-19. The purpose is to investigate the wide spectrum of radiological pulmonary changes in COVID-19 patients and compare them to the variable CT findings reported in MERS and SARS. RESULTS: From March 15 to May 12, 2020, 50 patients in Cairo, Egypt, who have positive RT-PCR tests, were included in our study. MSCT of the chest was performed to all patients and processed in a separate work station. Two experienced radiologists assessed each study for the type and location of different pulmonary affection. The most imminent radiological finding was patchy peripheral subpleural ground glass opacity found in 42 patients (84% of cases), followed by consolidation found in 30 patients (60% of cases) and ground glass and consolidation together found in 22 patients (44% of cases). Unlike SARS, where initial chest imaging abnormalities are more frequently unilateral, COVID-19 is more likely to involve both lungs on initial imaging presented as bilateral peripheral subpleural scattered ground-glass opacities. Pleural effusion is absent in COVID-19 patients while it is not rare in MERS and might be observed in 20–33% of affected individuals. CONCLUSION: The imaging features of COVID-19 pneumonia are highly sensitive mainly in the outbreak pandemic. The imaging features of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 overlap, but differences still exist especially early in disease course.