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Updated: Jun 23, 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 Scan Findings in Children with COVID-19: A Systematic Review
Denisa B Oraya1, Stacey Kaye N Militante1, Leonila F Dans2
1Department of Pediatrics, Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila.
Insights
Chest CT scans show moderate accuracy in diagnosing COVID-19 in children. Common findings include ground glass opacities and consolidation, but these can mimic other viral illnesses.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric radiology
- Infectious disease imaging
- COVID-19 diagnostics
Background:
- Accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 in children is crucial for effective management.
- Chest computed tomography (CT) scans are increasingly used for diagnosing pediatric COVID-19.
- Evidence on the diagnostic accuracy and characteristic findings of chest CT in children with COVID-19 requires synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and appraise the evidence on the accuracy of chest CT scans for diagnosing COVID-19 in pediatric populations.
- To identify and summarize the typical chest CT scan findings associated with COVID-19 pneumonia in children.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases (MEDLINE, COCHRANE) and registries.
- Inclusion of observational studies and appraisal of study quality using established tools.
- Systematic summarization of diagnostic accuracy metrics and characteristic imaging findings.
Main Results:
- A single poor-quality study reported 86.0% sensitivity and 75.9% specificity for chest CT in diagnosing pediatric COVID-19.
- Thirty-nine observational studies found abnormal chest CT findings in 717 out of 1028 children with COVID-19.
- Common CT findings include ground glass opacities, consolidation, lower lobe and unilateral lung involvement.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence on chest CT accuracy for pediatric COVID-19 is limited by small sample sizes and population heterogeneity.
- While certain CT findings are common in pediatric COVID-19, they are not specific and can overlap with other viral respiratory infections.
Objectives:
To gather, summarize, and appraise the available evidence on: 1) the accuracy of chest CT scan in diagnosing COVID-19 among children, and 2) the characteristic chest CT scan findings associated with COVID-19 pneumonia in children.
Methods:
We comprehensively searched databases (MEDLINE, COCHRANE), clinical trial registries, bibliographic lists of selected studies, and unpublished data for relevant studies. Guide questions from the Painless Evidence Based Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tools were used to assess study quality.
Results:
A poor quality study showed 86.0% (95% CI 73.8, 93.0) sensitivity and 75.9% (95% CI 67.1, 83.0) specificity of chest CT scan in diagnosing COVID-19 in children. Thirty-nine observational studies describing chest CT scan in children with COVID-19 showed abnormal findings in 717 of 1028 study subjects. Common chest CT scan findings in this population include: 1) ground glass opacities, patchy shadows, and consolidation, 2) lower lobe involvement, and 3) unilateral lung lesions.
Conclusion:
Studies which investigate the accuracy of chest CT scan in the diagnosis of COVID-19 in children are limited by heterogeneous populations and small sample sizes. While chest CT scan findings such as patchy shadows, ground glass opacities, and consolidation are common in children with COVID-19, these may be similar to the imaging findings of other respiratory viral illnesses.
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