Lung Base Findings of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Abdominal CT in Patients With Predominant Gastrointestinal Symptoms

AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2020 Sep;215(3):607-609. doi: 10.2214/AJR.20.23232. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. This series of patients presented to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain, without the respiratory symptoms typical of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the abdominal radiologist was the first to suggest COVID-19 infection because of findings in the lung bases on CT of the abdomen. CONCLUSION. COVID-19 infection can present primarily with abdominal symptoms, and the abdominal radiologist must suggest the diagnosis when evaluating the lung bases for typical findings.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; abdominal CT; coronavirus; imaging findings; lung bases.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Pain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Abdominal Pain / virology*
  • Adult
  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging*
  • Lung / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnostic imaging*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed