Incidental findings in computed tomography in suspicious coronavirus disease patients: Findings of a large cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to assess the coincidental discoveries in the computed tomography scan (CT scan) results of individuals who were suspected of having COVID-19. Methods This investigation was conducted on a series of patients who were suspected to have COVID-19 based on their clinical symptoms. Every patient received a chest CT scan and a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for COVID-19. The patients' age, gender, and CT scan findings were documented. Results Among a total of 9,457 patients (with a male to female ratio of 1.36:1), 614 individuals (6.5%) tested positive for RT-PCR. There was a notable disparity in the age distribution between individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and those who tested negative ( P < 0.001). Extended duration of participation was observed in 41.5% of the patients. COVID-19 positive patients with lymphadenopathy were considerably older than COVID-19 negative patients with lymphadenopathy ( P < 0.001). Conversely, COVID-19 positive patients with hiatal hernia ( P = 0.001) and breast lesions ( P = 0.008) were notably younger than COVID-19 negative patients with these conditions. There was a notable disparity in the distribution of genders among patients with lung ( P = 0.021), thyroid ( P < 0.001), breast ( P < 0.001), and esophageal ( P = 0.015) between the COVID-19 positive and negative groups. Conclusion CT scan findings should not be relied upon as the only diagnostic tool for patients suspected of having COVID-19.