The Efficacy of Chest Computed Tomography in Pediatric Patients With Suspected COVID-19.

Rona, Günay; Voyvoda, Nuray; Arifoğlu, Meral; Karaaslan, Ayşe; Çetin, Ceren

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate chest computed tomography (CT) findings and the value of CT in the diagnosis in children with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). MATERIALS AND METHODS Chest CT images of pediatric patients with suspected COVID-19 were retrospectively evaluated. Computed tomography findings were divided into 3 groups: normal, consistent, and inconsistent with COVID-19. The sensitivity and specificity of CT were calculated by reference to reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The study included patients with a mean age of 11.1 years (1 month-17 years). Of the patients, 43 (40.19%) had normal CT, 34 (31.77%) had CT findings consistent with COVID-19, and 30 (28.04%) had CT findings inconsistent with COVID-19. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CT were 47.92%, 81.36%, 67.65%, and 65.75%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Because the sensitivity of CT in the pediatric age group is low, it should be used cautiously for the evaluation of COVID-19 in the pediatric age group.