Comprehensive radiological study of SARS-COV-2-associated lung diseases and their complications

Background. Lately, there have been more data on the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection, the features of its pathogenesis, clinical course, consequences, and the radiological treatment regimen for patients due to an increased incidence rate of this disease. In the process of accumulating clinical information, great attention is also paid to the matter of diagnostic importance of radiological methods for detecting respiratory complications of COVID-associated pneumonia that require rapid decisionmaking and active treatment methods. The purpose of the study is to determine the capacity of radiological methods and ultrasound imaging to detect structural features of SARS-CoV-2-associated lung diseases based on the review of professional literature and a series of clinical cases in order to improve diagnosis of the main pathological process and its complications. Materials and methods. In view of evidence-based medicine, the study can be classified as «Description of a case series». The results of computed tomography, X-ray imaging, and ultrasound examination of the lungs of 55 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus infection were analyzed. Results. The main radiological symptoms in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus infection were ground-glass opacity, the presence of differently shaped areas of ground-glass opacity with reticular changes and consolidation of the lung tissue, pneumonic infiltration of various degrees, and bilateral localization of pathological changes, mainly in the subpleural and basal areas. The ultrasound signs of SARS-CoV-2-associated pneumonia were the presence of the subpleural foci of consolidation, uneven pleural line and B-lines. This study describes the results of case studies of patients with the signs of different respiratory complications of COVID-19 infection, namely bacterial pneumonia, lung abscess, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and subcutaneous emphysema. Conclusions. The comprehensive study with the use of radiological imaging methods in patients with coronavirus infection will contribute to the improvement of the effectiveness of diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2-associated lung diseases and their complications and might decrease their incidence and high mortality rate.