Related Experiment Video
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
Chest CT for detecting COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy
Buyun Xu1, Yangbo Xing1, Jiahao Peng2
1Department of Cardiology, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), No. 568, Zhongxing North Road, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Chest CT scans show high sensitivity for detecting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly in severely affected areas. While useful for early identification of suspected cases, specificity remains low.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Diagnostic Accuracy
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a global health challenge.
- Accurate and rapid diagnostic methods are crucial for disease control.
- Chest computed tomography (CT) is increasingly utilized for COVID-19 detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the diagnostic test accuracy of chest CT for COVID-19.
- To assess the pooled sensitivity and specificity of chest CT in detecting COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI up to March 12, 2020.
- Inclusion of studies reporting diagnostic accuracy of chest CT for COVID-19.
- Quality assessment using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool.
- Pooled analysis of sensitivity and specificity data.
Main Results:
- Sixteen studies with 3186 patients were included.
- Pooled sensitivity for chest CT was 92% (95% CI: 86-96%).
- Specificity varied significantly (25-33%), indicating a notable limitation.
- Higher sensitivity was observed in Wuhan (96-99%) compared to other regions (61-98%).
Conclusions:
- Chest CT demonstrates high sensitivity for COVID-19 detection, especially in epidemic hotspots.
- The low specificity necessitates caution in interpreting results.
- Chest CT serves as a valuable tool for rapid screening and early recognition of suspected COVID-19 cases during outbreaks.
Objective:
The purpose of this article was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the diagnostic test accuracy of chest CT for detecting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Methods:
PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI were searched up to March 12, 2020. We included studies providing information regarding diagnostic test accuracy of chest CT for COVID-19 detection. The methodological quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. Sensitivity and specificity were pooled.
Results:
Sixteen studies (n = 3186 patients) were included. The risks of bias in all studies were moderate in general. Pooled sensitivity was 92% (95% CI = 86-96%), and two studies reported specificity (25% [95% CI = 22-30%] and 33% [95% CI = 23-44%], respectively). There was substantial heterogeneity according to Cochran's Q test (p < 0.01) and Higgins I2 heterogeneity index (96% for sensitivity). After dividing the studies into two groups based on the study site, we found that the sensitivity of chest CT was great in Wuhan (the most affected city by the epidemic) and the sensitivity values were very close to each other (97%, 96%, and 99%, respectively). In the regions other than Wuhan, the sensitivity varied from 61 to 98%.
Conclusion:
Chest CT offers the great sensitivity for detecting COVID-19, especially in a region with severe epidemic situation. However, the specificity is low. In the context of emergency disease control, chest CT provides a fast, convenient, and effective method to early recognize suspicious cases and might contribute to confine epidemic.
Key Points:
• Chest CT has a high sensitivity for detecting COVID-19, especially in a region with severe epidemic, which is helpful to early recognize suspicious cases and might contribute to confine epidemic.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
01:26Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...