Elsevier

Clinical Imaging

Volume 77, September 2021, Pages 180-186
Clinical Imaging

Cardiothoracic Imaging
Interstitial lung abnormalities and pulmonary fibrosis in COVID-19 patients: a short-term follow-up case series

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinimag.2021.03.030Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Imaging manifestations of pulmonary fibrosis are presented in 12 recovered COVID-19 patients up to 196 days after known infection.

  • Imaging shows increased septal markings, bronchiectasis, honeycombing, focal cystic change, and architectural distortion.

  • The distribution of interstitial fibrosis corresponds to the opacities seen during the acute phase of the infection.

Abstract

Fibrotic lung changes are well-known complications of SARS, MERS, and ARDS from other causes and are anticipated in recovered COVID patients. However, there is limited data so far showing a temporal relationship between lung changes on imaging in the acute phase and follow-up imaging after recovery from the infection. We present 12 patients who demonstrate the development of interstitial lung changes and pulmonary fibrosis in the same distribution and pattern as the acute phase findings, up to 6 months after the acute infection, demonstrating a direct relationship between these changes and COVID-19 pneumonia.

Keywords

COVID-19
Fibrosis
Recovered
Temporal imaging
HRCT

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