Early X-ray and CT appearances of severe acute respiratory syndrome: an analysis of 28 cases

Abstract

Objective: To study the early X-ray and CT findings of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Methods: Chest radiography and CT were performed in 28 patients with SARS within one to three days after onset of the disease. CT examinations included conventional spiral CT and high-resolution CT (HRCT). The radiographic and CT findings of these patients were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: Abnormal CT findings were noted in all the patients, but abnormal chest radiographic findings in 17 cases (60.7%, 17/28). CT showed single small focal patchy opacities in 23 patients (82.1%, 23/28), including oval ground-glass opacities in 20 patients, lobular distribution ground-glass opacities in 2 and small patchy consolidation in one. Multi-focal ground-glass opacities were found in 2 patients and extensive opacities in three. In the 28 patients, a total of 31 lesions were found in the upper (7, 22.6%), middle (3, 9.7%), and lower lobes (21, 67.7%). The diameter of the lesions ranged from 20 to 35 mm.

Conclusion: The dominant feature of early SARS patients is focal patchy opacity in the lung, and oval small ground-glass opacities are the common morphological findings on CT.