Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 7, 2025
Lung CT Segmentation to Identify Consolidations and Ground Glass Areas for Quantitative Assesment of SARS-CoV Pneumonia
Published on: December 19, 2020
Chest computed tomography (CT) features in children with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction
Paolo Simoni1, Alberto Bazzocchi2, Grammatina Boitsios1
1Peadiatric Imaging Department, Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Insights
Chest CT scans in children with COVID-19 show different features than in adults. Ground-glass opacities are common, but patterns vary, and serious complications like pulmonary embolism are rare in pediatric cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, affects children, but their clinical and imaging presentations can differ from adults.
- Chest computed tomography (CT) is a key diagnostic tool for evaluating respiratory infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and describe the chest CT features of COVID-19 in children.
- To compare pediatric chest CT findings with those reported in adult COVID-19 patients.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of English literature published up to June 1, 2020, using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus.
- Quality assessment using the NIH Quality Assessment Tool and adherence to PRISMA guidelines.
- Data extraction and comparison of chest CT findings between pediatric and adult populations.
Main Results:
- Nine articles involving pediatric COVID-19 cases were analyzed.
- Ground-glass opacities (GGOs) were the most frequent finding, often combined with consolidation.
- Pediatric CT findings showed more variable involvement and differed significantly from adults, with fewer instances of interlobular thickening, air bronchograms, and no reported pulmonary embolism.
Conclusions:
- Chest CT features in children with COVID-19 are diverse and distinct from adult presentations.
- Current literature is limited to small cohorts, primarily of Chinese children.
- Further research with diverse pediatric populations is needed for a comprehensive understanding of COVID-19's impact on pediatric chest imaging.
Abstract:
To describe the chest CT features reported in children with confirmed COVID-19 infection, published in English literature. A systematic review was completed on PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases on the 1st of June 2020 using the PICO strategy. The NIH Quality Assessment Tool was used to assess the quality of the selected articles. The systematic review was evaluated by Case Series Studies and the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies (PRISMA). The extracted data were assessed and compared with those reported in the adult population. Seventy-two articles were retrieved from the database search and screened by the title, abstract and keywords. Eleven articles were deemed eligible for full-text assessment. Nine articles were included for the data extraction and in the final analysis. Chest CT features in children with COVID-19 differ from those in adults. 'Ground-grass opacities' (GGOs) are the most commonly described abnormalities, but closely followed by a combination of GGO and consolidation, not usual in adults. Children tend to have a more variable involvement than the subpleural and posterior and basal topography described in adults. Interlobular thickening and air bronchogram found in adults with COVID-19 are not frequent in children. Pulmonary embolism reported in up to 30% of adults has not been yet reported in children. Original articles describing chest CT features in children with COVID-19 in the English literature are limited to small populations of Chinese children. Chest CT imaging features are very diverse across the selected studies and globally different from those reported in adults. Data from children of different countries would provide a more comprehensive description of chest CT features in children with COVID-19.
More Related Videos
04:40Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
05:56Implementation of Non-invasive Point of Care Transient Elastography for Evaluation of Liver Disease in Pediatric Populations with Cystic Fibrosis
Published on: August 29, 2025
Related Concept Videos
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT