Chest X-ray findings monitoring COVID-19 disease course and severity

Yasin, Rabab; Gouda, Walaa

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus related respiratory illness usually manifests clinically as pneumonia with predominant imaging findings of an atypical or organizing pneumonia. Plain radiography is very helpful for COVID-19 disease assessment and follow-up. It gives an accurate insight into the disease course. We aimed to determine the COVID-19 disease course and severity using chest X-ray (CXR) scoring system and correlate these with patients’ age, sex, and outcome. RESULTS: In our study, there were 350 patients proven with positive COVID-19 disease; 220 patients (62.9%) had abnormal baseline CXR and 130 patients (37.1%) had normal baseline CXR. During follow-up chest X-ray studies, 48 patients (13.7%) of the normal baseline CXR showed CXR abnormalities. In abnormal chest X-ray, consolidation opacities were the most common finding seen in 218 patients (81.3%), followed by reticular interstitial thickening seen in 107 patients (39.9%) and GGO seen in 87 patients (32.5%). Pulmonary nodules were found 25 patients (9.3%) and pleural effusion was seen in 20 patients (7.5%). Most of the patients showed bilateral lung affection (181 patients, 67.5%) with peripheral distribution (156 patients, 58.2%) and lower zone affection (196 patients, 73.1%). The total severity score was estimated in the baseline and follow-up CXR and it was ranged from 0 to 8. The outcome of COVID-19 disease was significantly related to the age, sex, and TSS of the patients. Male patients showed significantly higher mortality rate as compared to the female patients (P value 0.025). Also, the mortality rate was higher in patients older than 40 years especially with higher TSS. CONCLUSION: Radiographic findings are very good predictors for assessing the course of COVID-19 disease and it could be used as long-term consequences monitoring.