Radiological role in the detection, diagnosis and monitoring for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has officially been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Radiological examinations, especially computed tomography (CT), play an important role in the fight against COVID-19. A comprehensive and timely review of radiological role in the fight against COVID-19 remains urgent and mandatory. Hence, the aim of this review is to summarize the radiological role in the fight against COVID-19. This review of current studies on COVID-19 provides insight into the radiological role in the detection, diagnosis, and monitoring for COVID-19. The typical radiological features of COVID-19 include bilateral, multifocal, and multilobar ground glass opacification with patchy consolidation, a peripheral/subpleural or posterior distribution (or both), mainly in the lower lobes. A combination of chest CT and repeat Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing may be beneficial for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in the setting of strongly clinical suspicion. Chest CT may improve the sensitivity for COVID-19 diagnosis, but patients’ exposure to radiation should be kept as low as possible especially for children and pregnant women patients.