Correlation Between CT Severity Scoring and Diabetes Mellitus in Patients With COVID-19 Infection

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Infectious Diseases
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late 2019 and rapidly became a global pandemic.
• Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are recognized as a high-risk group for severe COVID-19 outcomes.
• Understanding the impact of DM on COVID-19 severity is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between diabetes mellitus and the severity of lung involvement in COVID-19 patients.
• To evaluate the correlation between diabetes mellitus and chest CT severity scores (CTSS) in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, hospital-based study involving 220 COVID-19 patients.
• Quantitative chest CT severity scores (CTSS) were calculated based on lung lobe involvement.
• Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe lung involvement groups based on CTSS.
• The chi-square test was employed to assess the association between DM and CTSS.

Main Results:

• COVID-19 patients with diabetes mellitus exhibited a higher prevalence of severe lung involvement (29.3%) compared to non-diabetic patients (11.7%).
• The association between severe lung involvement and diabetes mellitus was statistically significant (p=0.002).

Conclusions:

• Diabetic patients are at a significantly increased risk of developing severe COVID-19.
• Higher CT lung involvement scores are observed in COVID-19 patients with diabetes mellitus compared to those without diabetes.