Imaging in corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19)—A scoping review

Jajodia, Ankush; Ebner, Lukas; Heidinger, Benedikt; K, Chaturvedi Arvind; Prosch, Helmut

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) originated in the Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in November 2019 and has since been declared a pandemic by the WHO. COVID-19 is an acute infectious disease, primarily affecting the respiratory system. Currently, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) performed on respiratory specimens is considered the reference by which to diagnose COVID-19. However, the limitations of RT-PCR, specifically, the fact that it is time-consuming and inadequate for the assessment of disease severity, have affected the process of epidemiological disease containment and has taken a toll on the healthcare management chain. As the risk of infection for other patients and personnel must be kept to a minimum, the indications for imaging have to be carefully considered. Imaging is primarily performed in patients with a negative RT-PCR, but a high clinical suspicion of COVID-19, or, in patients with diagnosed COVID-19 who are suffering from moderate to severe symptoms. In this article, we review the typical imaging findings in COVID-19, the differential diagnoses, and common complications.