![]() ![]() They were taken either after a positive RT-PCR report or due to symptoms that correlated with the infection. The CT scans were solely taken to screen patients for COVID-19. Comparisons were made between gender and age brackets.Ī total of 3191 CT scan reports were examined to look for incidental findings in the period April to May 2021. ![]() ![]() The incidental findings were divided into categories, after which the rates of incidental findings in a particular category were calculated and reported. The reports that were used for data collection were the finalized CT reports as read by the attending radiologist.Īny finding on the CT scan that was not related to COVID-19 findings was considered an “incidental finding.” The evaluation of finalized CT scans and their reporting was done by a single person to maintain consistency in the report. Then, using a structured data collection form, information such as name, age, gender, reason for CT scan, and incidental finding category was recorded. If there was uncertainty regarding the patient’s chief complaints, then the patient’s case sheets were reviewed to confirm the reason for the CT chest. This was done by reviewing the chief complaints’ section of the report. Care was taken to make sure that the patient had come to screen for COVID-19. This included a total of 3191 patients who had CT chest scans. Our goal was to find out the rate of incidental findings and the frequency of individual incidental findings found in patients who underwent CT chest as a screening/diagnostic tool for COVID-19.Ī list of all the CT chest scans done in an urban diagnostic center over a 2-month period (April to May 2021), during the peak of the second wave, was obtained. There have not been studies conducted that examine the rates and types of incidental findings in CT chest in a population screened for COVID-19. Studies have been conducted to examine the rates of incidental findings in the emergency departments and trauma centers. Some of these incidental findings require follow-up, while others may not. Increased use of CT scans as a diagnostic technique and advances in CT scan technology have increased the ability to find subtle findings. They are mentioned in the section of “incidental findings” by the radiologist who interprets the CT scans. Incidentalomas are defined as findings that are unrelated to the chief complaints. ![]() CT scan findings could be used to determine whether a patient needed hospitalization, ICU admission, or outpatient treatment. It has also been vital in the triage of emergency department patients as findings could be stratified based on the severity of lung involvement. CT scan reports of COVID-19 patients have been useful to rule out or rule in the disease. It is now used as a vital diagnostic tool. The role of CT scans of the chest in the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved with time. Care should be taken to follow up on patients with incidental findings that are undetermined to catch a lesion in the early stage. CT scans are important for the detection of incidental findings. There were 6 total malignancies detected and a further 92 cases that required follow-up. Out of 3191 scans, 277 (8.68%) showed incidental findings, the most common of which was lung nodules and other individual findings. Data from these reports were tabulated with demographic information and findings. These CT scans were taken from an urban diagnostics laboratory in Hyderabad (IN) over a period of 2 months (April to May 2021) when the COVID-19 s wave peaked. Three thousand one hundred ninety-one CT scans were assessed for incidental findings. This study was conducted to examine the rates of incidental findings on CT chest in patients who were screened for COVID-19. Incidentalomas on computed tomography (CT) scans are incidental or unsuspected findings that are detected when obtaining a CT examination for an unrelated reason. ![]()
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