“ROLE OF HIGH RESOLUTION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY THORAX IMAGING IN FOLLOW-UP OF COVID-19 PATIENTS – A ONE YEAR HOSPITAL BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY”

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, multiple studies have been conducted focused on the radiological changes in patients who have tested positive for reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test or rapid antigen test (RAT). HRCT has been utilized as the primary imaging modality of choice in the radiological evaluation of such patients. Various imaging findings, ranging from ground glass opacities, consolidation, crazy paving pattern, and pleural thickening to pulmonary fibrosis, have been reported in the spectrum of temporal HRCT thorax changes in COVID-19 patients. However, there is limited literature on the HRCT thorax imaging findings in COVID-19 patients who have tested negative on RT-PCR test / RAT after an initial confirmed diagnosis but continue to be symptomatic or have developed new symptoms after resolution of the initial illness and follow-up of post-COVID-19 patients. This study was conducted to observe the spectrum of lung findings on the HRCT thorax and evaluate its role in the follow-up of the patients, as mentioned above.