Table 3.
Radiological findings in the COVID-19 survivors who underwent CT examination at three and 12 months after discharge and showed persistent chest CT abnormalities. Subclassification in improved/stably abnormal/worsened (group 3/4/5) is not considered in this summary.
| 3-Month FU | 12-Month FU | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of abnormal chest CT scans | 49/63 (78%) | 48/63 (76%) * | 1.000 |
| % of compromised lung volume | 14.4 [10.6–21.2] | 12.3 [9.2–15.9] | <0.001 |
| Type of CT pattern | 0.038 | ||
| GGO | 8 (16) | 2 (4) | |
| Reticular | 31 (63) | 38 (79) | |
| Combined | 10 (21) | 8 (17) | |
| Consolidation | 2 (4) | 2 (4) | 1.000 |
| Architectural distortion | 45 (92) | 46 (96) | 1.000 |
| Bronchial dilatation | 44 (90) | 42 (88) | 0.683 |
| Emphysema | 7 (14) | 9 (19) | 0.617 |
| Cavitation | 1 (2) | 0 (0) | NA ** |
| Pleural effusion | 1 (2) | 1 (2) | 1.000 |
| Distribution | |||
| Bilateral | 47 (96) | 48 (100) | NA ** |
| Axial distribution (central/peripheral/neither) | 1 (2)/18 (37)/30 (61) | 0 (0)/28 (58)/20 (42) | NA ** |
| Cranio-caudal distribution (superior/medium/inferior/none) | 2 (4)/1 (2)/7 (14)/39 (80) | 1 (2)/6 (13)/12 (25)/29 (60) | 0.047 |
| RUL | 48 (98) | 45 (94) | 0.479 |
| ML | 46 (94) | 45 (94) | 1.000 |
| RLL | 46 (94) | 46 (96) | 1.000 |
| LUL | 43 (88) | 40 (83) | 0.617 |
| Lingula | 44 (90) | 43 (90) | 1.000 |
| LLL | 46 (94) | 47 (98) | 0.480 |
Data are reported as median [IQR] (continuous/numerical variables) or number (%) (binary/categorical variables). p-values were computed by paired t-test (continuous variables with normal distribution), paired Mann–Whitney test (continuous variables with non-normal distribution), McNemar Chi-squared test (binary variables), or Marginal homogeneity test (categorical variables). * Among 49 patients with CT abnormalities at three months, only one case became normal at 12 months reassessment. ** p-values could not be computed due to the different number of levels. Abbreviations: GGO = ground-glass opacity, RUL = right upper lobe, ML = middle lobe, RLL = right lower lobe, LUL = left upper lobe, LLL = left lower lobe.