Evaluating the Cavitary Lung Lesions on CT Scan of COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study

Background: It has been shown that cavitary lesions on CT scans of patients with COVID-19 may be related to their clinical symptoms and mortality rate. Materials and methods: The study population included patients diagnosed with COVID-19 based on RT-PCR results from throat samples or typical clinical and chest CT scan fi ndings who were hospitalized at Sina Hospital in Tehran in 2020 and underwent chest CT scans. Chest CT scans were examined for the severity of pulmonary opacities and the presence, number, size, wall thickness, and distribution of cavitary lung lesions. Results: Oxygen saturation was lower in patients with cavitary lesions in the initial state and after treatment than those without cavitation, and a statistically significant relationship was observed (p < 0.05). In terms of gender, a significant correlation was observed, and the prevalence of cavitary lesions was higher in men (p < 0.05). Also, the in-hospital mortality rate was higher in patients with cavitary lesions (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Based on our results, the presence of cavitary lung lesions in COVID-19 patients is related to the mortality rate, severity of pulmonary involvement, and patients' gender.