High-Resolution CT Findings in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: A Pattern-Based Approach

We retrospectively reviewed high-resolution CT (HRCT) examinations of the lungs performed in 27 confirmed cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The HRCT findings at different phases of the illness were analyzed. A defined pattern of HRCT findings is observed in different phases of SARS, which is characterized by focal ground-glass and crazy paving patterns in a scattered distribution at presentation, followed by development of interstitial thickening, consolidation, pleural reaction, and scarring. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a distinct complication during the course of the illness.