COVID-19 pneumonia: current evidence of chest imaging features, evolution and prognosis

Anna Rita Larici; Giuseppe Cicchetti; Riccardo Marano; Lorenzo Bonomo; Maria Luigia Storto

doi:10.1007/s42058-021-00068-0

COVID-19 pneumonia: current evidence of chest imaging features, evolution and prognosis

Chin J Acad Radiol. 2021;4(4):229-240. doi: 10.1007/s42058-021-00068-0. Epub 2021 May 4.

Authors

Anna Rita Larici^{1

2}, Giuseppe Cicchetti^{1

2}, Riccardo Marano^{1

2}, Lorenzo Bonomo^{1

2}, Maria Luigia Storto³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiological and Hematological Sciences, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
² Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oncological Radiotherapy, and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
³ Bracco Diagnostics Inc., Global Medical and Regulatory Affairs, Monroe Twp, NJ USA.

Abstract

COVID-19 pneumonia represents a global threatening disease, especially in severe cases. Chest imaging, with X-ray and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), plays an important role in the initial evaluation and follow-up of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Chest imaging can also help in assessing disease severity and in predicting patient's outcome, either as an independent factor or in combination with clinical and laboratory features. This review highlights the current knowledge of imaging features of COVID-19 pneumonia and their temporal evolution over time, and provides recent evidences on the role of chest imaging in the prognostic assessment of the disease.

Keywords: COVID-19 pneumonia; Chest X-ray; Evolution; High-resolution computed tomography; Imaging findings; Prognosis.

Publication types

Review