Severe acute respiratory syndrome: thin-section computed tomography features, temporal changes, and clinicoradiologic correlation during the convalescent period.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate thin-section computed tomography findings of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the convalescent period and to correlate the results with clinical parameters and lung function tests.


METHODS
Ninety-nine severe acute respiratory syndrome patients with persistent changes on follow-up chest radiography were included. One hundred seventy computed tomography examinations at baseline (n=70), 3 months (n=56), and 6 months (n=44) were retrospectively evaluated to determine the extent of ground-glass opacification, reticulation, and total parenchymal involvement. Patients' demographic information, clinical information during treatment, and results of lung function tests at 3 and 6 months were correlated with computed tomography findings.


RESULTS
A significant serial improvement in the extent of overall ground-glass opacification, overall reticulation, and total parenchymal involvement was observed (P <0.01). Advanced age, previous intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, alternative treatment, higher peak lactate dehydrogenase, and peak radiographic involvement during treatment showed a positive correlation with overall reticulation and total parenchymal involvement at 6 months. There was a significant negative correlation between overall reticulation and total parenchymal involvement with diffusion capacity adjusted for hemoglobin at 3 and 6 months (P <0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Lung changes on thin-section computed tomography of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients improved with time during the convalescent period and showed a significant correlation with advanced age, parameters indicating severe illness, and diffusion capacity adjusted for hemoglobin on follow-up.
Wong
Ka-tak
KT
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Antonio
Gregory E
GE
Hui
David S C
DS
Ho
Catherine
C
Chan
Po-nin
PN
Ng
Wing-hung
WH
Shing
Kwok-kuen
KK
Wu
Alan
A
Lee
Nelson
N
Yap
Florence
F
Joynt
Gavin M
GM
Sung
Joseph J Y
JJ
Ahuja
Anil T
AT
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003289:Convalescence; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D011653:Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity / Q000502:physiology; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D006454:Hemoglobins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase