Coronavirus Disease 2019-related dyspnea cases difficult to interpret using chest computed tomography.
Shuke Nie, Shoumeng Han, Huangqing Ouyang, Zhan Zhang
Author Information
Shuke Nie: Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China. Electronic address: nieshuke200554@163.com.
Shoumeng Han: Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China. Electronic address: 1493676387@qq.com.
Huangqing Ouyang: Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China. Electronic address: hqouyang2008@126.com.
Zhan Zhang: Department of Respiratory Disease and Intensive Care, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China. Electronic address: doctorzhang2003@163.com.
Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) often have clinical characteristics, such as chest tightness and dyspnea. Continuous, unresolved dyspnea often indicates the progression of lung lesions. The mechanism that underlies the chest distress and dyspnea in patients with COVID-19 is still unclear. Chest CT has a higher sensitivity and can play an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. However, our clinical observations showed that although some patients had significant chest distress and dyspnea, the lesions that were observed in the lungs during computed tomography were milder and not completely consistent with clinical symptoms. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, and imaging findings of these patients. We found that extensive inflammation of the bilateral and respiratory bronchioles in patients with COVID-19 due to excessive activation of proinflammatory cytokines and chemotactic aggregation of T-lymphocytes at the site of inflammation are possible mechanisms underlying chest distress and dyspnea in patients with COVID-19. Short-time and lose-dose use of corticosteroid may be helpful to treat chest tightness and dyspnea in mild COVID-19 patients. Through this study, we aimed to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19.
