Characteristics of chest high resolution computed tomography images of COVID-19: A retrospective study of 46 patients

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of chest high resolution computed tomography (CT) images of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: This is a retrospective study analyzing the clinical records and chest high-resolution CT images of 46 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 by nucleic acid tests and treated at our hospitals between January 2020 and February 2020. RESULTS: Abnormalities in the CT images were found in 44 patients (95.6%). The lesions were unilateral in eight patients (17.4%), bilateral in 36 patients (78.3%), single in seven patients (15.9%), and multiple in 37 patients (84.1%). The morphology of the lesions was scattered opacity in 10 patients (21.7%), patchy opacity in 38 patients (82.6%), fibrotic cord in 17 patients (37.0%), and wedge-shaped opacity in two patients (4.3%). The lesions can be classified as ground-glass opacity in eight patients (17.4%), consolidation in one patient (2.2%), and ground-glass opacity plus consolidation in 28 patients (60.9%). CONCLUSION: Most COVID-19 patients showed abnormalities in chest CT images and the most common findings were ground-glass opacity plus consolidation.