Data_Sheet_1_Pulmonary Sequelae in Patients After Recovery From Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Follow-Up Study With Chest CT.docx

Objective: The pulmonary sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have not been comprehensively evaluated. We performed a follow-up study analyzing chest computed tomography (CT) findings of COVID-19 patients at 3 and 6 months after hospital discharge.
Methods: Between February 2020 and May 2020, a total of 273 patients with COVID-19 at the Shenzhen Third People's Hospital were recruited and followed for 6 months after discharge. Chest CT scanning was performed with the patient in the supine position at end-inspiration. A total of 957 chest CT scans was obtained at different timepoints. A semi-quantitative score was used to assess the degree of lung involvement.
Results: Most chest CT scans showed bilateral lung involvement with peripheral location at 3 and 6 months follow-up. The most common CT findings were ground-glass opacity and parenchymal band, which were found in 136 (55.3%) and 94 (38.2%) of the 246 patients at 3 months follow-up, and 82 (48.2%) and 76 (44.7%) of 170 patients at 6 months follow-up, respectively. The number of lobes involved and the total CT severity score declined over time. The total CT score gradually increased with the increasement of disease severity at both 3 months follow-up (trend test P < 0.001) and 6 months follow-up (trend test P < 0.001). Patients with different disease severity represented diverse CT patterns over time.
Conclusions: The most common CT findings were ground-glass opacity and parenchymal bands at the 3 and 6 months follow-up. Patients with different disease severity represent diverse CT manifestations, indicating the necessary for long-term follow-up monitoring of patients with severe and critical conditions.

研究目的：新型冠状病毒肺炎（coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19）的肺部后遗症尚未得到全面评估。本研究开展了一项随访研究，分析新型冠状病毒肺炎患者出院后3个月及6个月时的胸部计算机断层扫描（chest computed tomography, CT）影像学表现。
研究方法：2020年2月至2020年5月，本研究招募了深圳市第三人民医院的273例新型冠状病毒肺炎患者，于患者出院后开展为期6个月的随访。扫描采用患者仰卧位、吸气末状态下的胸部CT扫描方案。本研究共在不同时间节点获取957次胸部CT影像。采用半定量评分法评估肺部受累程度。
研究结果：在3个月和6个月随访时，多数胸部CT影像显示双侧肺部受累且病变位于外周区域。最常见的CT表现为磨玻璃影（ground-glass opacity）与肺实质带（parenchymal band）：在3个月随访的246例患者中，分别有136例（55.3%）和94例（38.2%）出现上述表现；在6个月随访的170例患者中，分别有82例（48.2%）和76例（44.7%）出现上述表现。随着时间推移，受累肺叶数量及CT总严重度评分均呈下降趋势。在3个月随访（趋势检验P<0.001）与6个月随访（趋势检验P<0.001）时，CT总评分均随疾病严重程度升高而逐渐升高。不同疾病严重程度的患者随时间推移呈现出多样化的CT影像学模式。
研究结论：在3个月和6个月随访时，最常见的CT表现仍为磨玻璃影与肺实质带。不同疾病严重程度的患者呈现出多样化的CT影像学特征，这提示对重型及危重型患者开展长期随访监测具有必要性。