Imaging findings of COVID 19 in children: Literature review

Background: SARS-CoV-2 causes respiratory tract infections that can sometimes become severe, and the virus was first identified in Wuhan city, China, in late 2019. The term COVID-19 is used for clinical diseases caused by SARS-CoV-2. The number of cases and literature related to the radiological picture of COVID-19-induced pneumonia, its findings, and contribution to diagnosis, correlation with RT-PCR, and its differences with adults is still limited to pediatric patients.

Methods: We performed literature searches of the latest articles with PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases published from 2016 to 2020 (5-year span). Two reviewers searched all articles independently (W and I., with more than five years of experience in radiology, respectively).

Results: A total of 35 papers was identified and screened for eligibility from medical databases. There were 24 papers and included in this review. In the population of children, manifestations in radiology are less noticeable. The diagnosis of COVID-19 should prioritize the usage of CXR. Radiology in COVID-19-induced pneumonia may differ between the population of children and adults. Patchy lesions are the most commonly found images on chest x-rays, while bilateral ground-glass opacities (GGO) are the most often features in CT scans. Peribronchial distribution and peribronchial cuffing were more commonly seen in pediatric patients but less frequently found in adults.

Conclusion: The characteristics of radiological features in pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection are patchy lesions, peribronchial distribution, and peribronchial cuffing.