Radiographic and Clinical Features of Children With Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pneumonia

Indian Pediatr. 2020 May 15;57(5):423-426. doi: 10.1007/s13312-020-1816-8. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate chest computed tomography (CT) findings in children with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia in our hospital.

Methods: This study included 22 pediatric patients with confirmed COVID-19 from January to March, 2020. The chest CT images and clinical data were reviewed.

Results: The most prevalent presenting symptoms were fever (64%) and cough (59%), and a mildly elevated mean (SD) C-reactive protein (CRP) level of 11.22(11.06) and erythrocyte sedimentation rateof 18.8(15.17) were detected. The major CT abnormalities observed were mixed ground-glass opacity and consolidation lesions (36%), consolidations (32%), and ground-glass opacities (14%). Peripheral distribution (45%) of lung lesions was predominant. Most of the lesions were multilobar(68%), with an average of three lung segments involved.

Conclusions: Children with COVID-19 had relatively milder symptoms and less severe lung inflammation than adults. Chest CT plays an important role in the management of children with COVID-19 pneumonia.

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Child
  • China / epidemiology
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods
  • Coronavirus Infections* / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections* / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections* / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging*
  • Male
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Pandemics*
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / etiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / physiopathology
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Symptom Assessment / methods*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*