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Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Lung CT Segmentation to Identify Consolidations and Ground Glass Areas for Quantitative Assesment of SARS-CoV Pneumonia
Published on: December 19, 2020
Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): relationship between chest CT scores and laboratory parameters
Insights
Chest CT scans in early and progressive stages of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) showed correlations with laboratory markers. These findings suggest CT severity may reflect disease activity in early COVID-19 infection.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global health crisis.
- Accurate assessment of disease severity is crucial for patient management and prognosis.
- Chest computed tomography (CT) is a key imaging modality for diagnosing and evaluating COVID-19 pneumonia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the severity of COVID-19 lung abnormalities using chest CT.
- To investigate the relationship between CT-assessed disease severity and clinical laboratory parameters.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of chest CT scans and laboratory data from 84 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients.
- Lung involvement on CT was scored based on percentage of lung involvement across five lobes (0-20 scale).
- Spearman rank correlation was used to evaluate relationships between CT scores and laboratory parameters, with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons.
Main Results:
- CT scores peaked around 4 days after treatment initiation and subsequently declined.
- Early and progressive stage CT scores correlated significantly with neutrophil count, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and lactate dehydrogenase.
- No significant correlations were found between CT scores in the peak or absorption stages and laboratory parameters.
Conclusions:
- Quantification of lung abnormalities on chest CT may correlate with specific laboratory parameters during the early and progressive phases of COVID-19.
- Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to validate these findings and their clinical implications.
Purpose:
To quantify the severity of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on chest CT and to determine its relationship with laboratory parameters.
Methods:
Patients with real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 between January 01 and February 18, 2020, were included in this study. Laboratory parameters were retrospectively collected from medical records. Severity of lung changes on chest CT of early, progressive, peak, and absorption stages was scored according to the percentage of lung involvement (5 lobes, scores 1-5 for each lobe, range 0-20). Relationship between CT scores and laboratory parameters was evaluated by the Spearman rank correlation. The Bonferroni correction adjusted significance level was at 0.05/4 = 0.0125.
Results:
A total of 84 patients (mean age, 47.8 ± 12.0 years [standard deviation]; age range, 24-80 years) were evaluated. The patients underwent a total of 339 chest CT scans with a median interval of 4 days (interquartile range, 3-5 days). Median chest CT scores peaked at 4 days after the beginning of treatment and then declined. CT score of the early stage was correlated with neutrophil count (r = 0.531, P = 0.011). CT score of the progressive stage was correlated with neutrophil count (r = 0.502, P < 0.001), white blood cell count (r = 0.414, P = 0.001), C-reactive protein (r = 0.511, P < 0.001), procalcitonin (r = 0.423, P = 0.004), and lactose dehydrogenase (r = 0.369, P = 0.010). However, CT scores of the peak and absorption stages were not correlated with any parameter (P > 0.0125). No sex difference occurred regarding CT score (P > 0.05).
Conclusion:
Severity of lung abnormalities quantified on chest CT might correlate with laboratory parameters in the early and progressive stages. However, larger cohort studies are necessary.
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