High resolution CT features of COVID-19 in children/ 新型冠状病毒肺炎儿童高分辨率CT表现

Objective: To investigate the high resolution CT (HRCT) features of COVID-19 in children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the chest HRCT findings of 22 children who were diagnosed as COVID-19 by clinical and nucleic acid testing in Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 25 to February 5, 2020. There were 12 boys and 10 girls, aged from 2 months to 14 years old, with a median age of 4 years, and 14 patients were under 5 years old. The characteristics of lung lesions on HRCT such as distribution, shape, density and so on and whether there were hilar and mediastinal lymph node enlargement and pleural changes were evaluated by 2 radiologists. Results: In all of the 22 patients, the chest CT manifestations were normal in 3 patients (3/22), meanwhile the lung involvement of the lesion was found in 19 patients (19/22). Among them, 7 patients had unilateral lung involvement, and 12 patients had bilateral involvement. The HRCT manifestations were as follows. The HRCT showed the ground glass opacity (GGO) in 6 patients, including 4 cases with light opacity and 2 with typical crazy paving sign. Four patients had lung consolidation, with local fibrous stripes and patchy hyperdensity. Six patients had mixed GGO, including 1 case with right white lung. The bronchopneumonia-like changes were seen in 3 cases with scattered spot-like or mixed patchy. The lesions in the lower lobe were more serious than those in the upper lobe, and the lesions in the lateroposterior zone of the lung were more common than those in the apical and central area of the lung. No enlarged lymph nodes and pleural effusion were seen in all patients, but 1 case had thickened interlobar pleura. Conclusions: The HRCT manifestations of COVID-19 in children are varied, and the comprehensive assessment need to be made in combination with epidemiological data, clinical manifestations and laboratory tests. However, the chest HRCT plays an important role in early diagnosis, prevention and management of COVID-19.