Features of Chest CT Images in 13 Cases of COVID-19-related Pneumonia

We analyzed 20 chest computed tomographic (CT) images from 13 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related pneumonia who were admitted to the Osaka City General Hospital All patients had subpleural lesions and ground-glass opacities (GGOs), while none had pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, mediastinal/hilar lymphadenopathy, or cavitary lesions In addition, the 3 cases that required supplemental oxygen showed volume loss in both lower lobes, thickening of the bronchovascular bundles When the chest CT findings were classified according to the symptoms, GGOs appeared earlier after onset ( 10 days) Important differential diagnoses included viral pneumonia caused by influenza and organizing pneumonia Therefore, it is important to deduce the phase after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms by detailed interviews and be aware of how the chest CT presentations change with the clinical course in patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia Such knowledge will be helpful to predict the risk of COVID-19, as well as to promptly diagnose and treat COVID-19-related pneumonia and prevent further transmission