ABSTRACT

Objective: To scrutinize the frequency of alternative pulmonary infectious diseases, and incidental findings of the High resolution CT scan chest in COVID-19 screening trials during peak and late COVID era.
Study Design: A cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the Department of Radiology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, Pakistan from June 2021 to June 2022.
Methods: High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan chest reports of 191 patients were analyzed from the Peak COVID period from May 2020 to May 2021 and 191 reports of patients in the late COVID period from June 2021 to June 2022. Reports were evaluated for any alternative disease process or incidental findings, further classified according to their clinical significance.
Results: Incidental findings were seen in 60% of scans in the Peak period of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 75% in the late COVID era. The mean age group of patients in the peak period was 50.76 years and in the late COVID period was 56.65 years, with significant male predominance (76%) in the peak period. Around 30.5% and 56.7% of “major” incidental findings in each peak and late COVID period were recorded, respectively, with Pulmonary nodule being the most frequent incidental finding in the peak period and Tuberculosis often repeatedly encountered incidental finding in the late COVID period.
Conclusion: Incidental findings appear in more than half of the High-resolution CT chest scans in suspected COVID-19 patients, with a substantial number requiring further workup.

Keywords: Incidental Finding, SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Tuberculosis.

How to cite this: Shahid S, Isani A, Abbasi HW, Rizvi A, Mubarik HH. Review of HRCT Chest Incidental Findings in COVID and Post COVID Era. Life and Science. 2024; 5(2): 237-243. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.417