Similarity of Lung Ultrasound Image in Patients with COVID-19 and COVID-19-like Illnesses

Some patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) develop interstitial pneumonia. Consistent with available reports, imaging diagnostics involve high-resolution computed tomography of the chest and lung ultrasound. Imaging findings (high-resolution computed tomography of the chest and lung ultrasound) are typical of bilateral interstitial lesions. The gold standard for identifying the etiology of interstitial inflammatory lesions secondary to COVID-19 is the result of the RT-PCR test. Here, a report presents patients with COVID-19 and clinical cases in which imaging findings (ultrasound and computed tomography) may be qualified as "COVID-19-like," yet extended laboratory, viral, and microbiological diagnostic procedures reveal a different etiology of acute symptoms. B-line artifacts with concomitant subpleural lesions on lung ultrasound are found in the case of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is likely that a patient with fever, cough, and dyspnea may be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, many other respiratory diseases may cause similar symptoms. Diagnostic imaging may indicate an interstitial lesion in the lungs with high sensitivity but does not differentiate the etiology.