Clinical and radiologic characteristics of symptomatic pregnant women with COVID-19 pneumonia

• Published in: Journal of the Turkish German Gynecological Association Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 196 - 205
• Main Authors: Kuzan, Taha Yusuf, Murzoğlu Altıntoprak, Kübra, Çiftçi, Hatice Özge, Kuzan, Beyza Nur, Yassa, Murat, Tuğ, Niyazi, Çimşit, Nuri Çagatay
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Istanbul Turkish-German Gynecological Association 01-09-2021; Galenos Publishing House; Galenos Publishing
• Subjects: Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Laboratories; Original Investigation; Pneumonia; Premature birth; Tıp; İstanbul; COVID-19; computed tomography; chest radiography; radiology; pregnancy
• ISSN: 1309-0399; 1309-0380
• DOI: 10.4274/jtgga.galenos.2021.2020.0215

Objective: To describe the radiological features, diagnostic accuracy and features of imaging studies and their relation with clinical course of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia in pregnant women.
Material and Methods: The clinical, laboratory and radiological features of symptomatic pregnant women suspected of COVID-19 were retrospectively reviewed. Chest radiography (CXR) and chest computed tomography (CT) findings of COVID-19 in pregnant women were identified.
Results: Fifty-five of eighty-one pregnant women were included in the final analysis. The most common admission symptoms were dry cough (45.4%), fever (29.1%) and dyspnea (34.5%). Radiological imaging studies were performed in 34 (61.8%) patients. Fourteen (66.7%) of the laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients had parenchymal abnormalities on CXR, and most common abnormalities were airspace opacities (61.9%) and prominent bronchovascular shadows (28.6%). Seventeen (85.0%) of the patients had parenchymal abnormalities consistent with COVID-19 on their chest CT. Chest CT most commonly showed bilateral (88.2%), multilobe (100%) involvement; peripheral and central distribution (70.6%); patchy-shape (94.1%) and ground-glass opacity (94.1%). The sensitivity of CXR and chest CT was calculated as 66.7% and 83.3%, respectively. Preterm birth rate was 41.2% (n=7/17). Five (9.1%) of the 55 pregnant women admitted to the intensive care unit, three of those developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and one died.
Conclusion: This study describes the main radiological features of symptomatic pregnant women infected with COVID-19. The refusal rate among pregnant women for the imaging modalities involving ionizing radiation was high but these had high sensitivity for COVID-19 diagnosis. The preterm birth and cesarean section rates were observed as remarkably increased. (J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc 2021; 22: 196-205)