Pitfalls of Computed Tomography in the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Era: A New Perspective on Ground-Glass Opacities

Abstract

Aim To study ground-glass opacities (GGO) not only from the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia" perspective but also as a radiological presentation of other pathologies with comparable features. Methods We enrolled 33 patients admitted to Policlinico Universitario G. B. Rossi who underwent non-contrast-enhanced (NCE) or contrast-enhanced (CE) chest computed tomography (CT) between March 12 and April 12. All patients with CT-detected ground-glass opacity (GGO) were included. All patients resulted as COVID-19 negative at the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. We studied the different pathologies underlying GGO features: neoplastic diseases and non-neoplastic diseases (viral pneumonias, interstitial pneumonias, and cardiopulmonary diseases) in order to avoid pitfalls and to reach the correct diagnosis. Results All CT scans detected GGOs. Symptomatic patients were 25/33 (75.7%). At the clinical presentation, they reported fever and dry cough; in six out of 25 cases, dyspnea was also reported (24%). Thirty-three (33; 100%) showed GGO at CT: 15/33 (45.45%) presented pure GGO, and 18/33 (54.54%) showed GGO with consolidation. The RT-PCR assay was negative in 100%. We investigated other potential underlying diseases to explain imaging features: neoplastic causes (8/33, 24.24%) and non-neoplastic causes, in particular, infectious pneumonias (16/33, 48,48 %, viral and fungal), interstitial pneumonias (4/33, 12,12%), and cardio-pulmonary disease (5/33, 15,15%). Conclusions GGO remains a diagnostic challenge. Although CT represents a fundamental diagnostic tool because of its sensitivity, it still needs to be integrated with clinical data to achieve the best clinical management. In the presence of typical imaging features (e.g. GGO and consolidation), the radiologist should focus on the pandemic and manage a suspect patient as COVID-19 positive until proven to be negative.