Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.
Facoltà Di Scienze Biomediche, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland.
Radiol Med. 2022 Apr;127(4):360-368. doi: 10.1007/s11547-022-01466-9. Epub 2022 Mar 5.
The main objective of this study was to assess the presence of pulmonary infiltrates with computed tomography (CT) appearance compatible with infection by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in Canton Ticino in the 2 months preceding the first official case. Secondary aims were to compare the classification of infiltrates in the same time frame in 2020 and 2019; to compare the number of chest CT scans in the same period; to search for pathological confirmation of the virus.
Chest CT scans performed between January 1 and February 24 in 2019 and 2020 were collected and classified by COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS). Pathological presence of the virus was searched for when appropriate material was available.
The final cohort included 881 patients. Among the CO-RADS 3 and 4 categories, 30 patients had pneumonitis of unknown etiology. Pathological specimens were available in six patients but they were negative for COVID-19.
Before the first official case of COVID-19 infection, in Canton Ticino there were about 30 cases of pneumonitis of uncertain origin, with CT appearance compatible with infection by COVID-19, but with no confirmation of the disease. The number of chest CT scans in the first two months of 2020 was > 12% compared to 2019.
本研究的主要目的是评估在首例官方 COVID-19 病例前的 2 个月内，提契诺州（瑞士）计算机断层扫描（CT）表现符合 COVID-19 感染的肺部浸润的存在情况。次要目的是比较 2020 年和 2019 年同一时间段内浸润的分类；比较同一时期的胸部 CT 扫描数量；寻找病毒的病理证实。
收集并分类了 2019 年和 2020 年 1 月 1 日至 2 月 24 日之间进行的胸部 CT 扫描，并使用 COVID-19 报告和数据系统（CO-RADS）进行分类。在有合适材料的情况下，寻找病毒的病理存在。
最终纳入 881 例患者。在 CO-RADS 3 和 4 类别中，30 例患者患有病因不明的肺炎。6 例患者有病理标本，但 COVID-19 检测均为阴性。
在首例 COVID-19 感染的官方病例之前，提契诺州大约有 30 例病因不明的肺炎病例，CT 表现符合 COVID-19 感染，但未确诊该疾病。与 2019 年相比，2020 年前两个月的胸部 CT 扫描数量增加了 12%以上。
