• Xuehua Peng, Yu Guo, Han Xiao, Wei Xia, Aiguo Zhai, Baiqi Zhu, Wenhan Zhang, and Jianbo Shao.
• Department of Imaging Center, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, No. 100 Hong Kong Road, Jiang'an District, Wuhan, 430000, China.
• Pediatr Radiol. 2021 Feb 1; 51 (2): 222-230.

BackgroundChest computed tomography (CT) findings in children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been rarely reported in a comprehensive and systematic manner.ObjectiveWe investigated the chest CT findings in children with COVID-19, and explored the differences in these findings between symptomatic patients and asymptomatic patients.Materials And MethodsDemographic findings, clinical characteristics, duration of hospital stay and viral shedding, and chest CT findings in 201 children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) were retrospectively analyzed from January 15 to March 20, 2020, and divided into two groups: symptomatic group (n=136) and asymptomatic group (n=65). Chi-square test and Student's t-test were used for statistical analysis.ResultsSymptomatic patients were mainly young children ≤3 years old (54/63, 86%),while asymptomatic patients were mainly children ≥ 6 years old (51/111, 46%). Fever (41%) and cough (41%) were the most common symptoms. Overall, 119/201 (59%) patients had chest CT findings, and symptomatic patients accounted for 82% (98/119). The CT findings presented as bilateral multiple lesions (60/119, 50.4%), ground-glass opacities (83/119, 70%) and/or consolidation (44/119, 37%) with a peripheral and subpleural distribution (62/83, 75%). Fifteen of 87 (7.2%) patients with lung lesions showed complete lesion absorption, and 42/87 (48%) improved within a mean of 9.1 (standard deviation [SD] 3.2) days. The mean duration of viral shedding was 8.7 (SD 4.9) days. Pleural effusion was very rare. No lymphadenopathy was found in either group.ConclusionSymptoms associated with pulmonary involvement were most common in infants and young children. The lung lesions of most patients were absorbed and improved in about 9 days.

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