Diagnostic Performance of CO-RADS and the RSNA Classification System in Evaluating COVID-19 at Chest CT: A Meta-Analysis

Robert M Kwee; Hugo J A Adams; Thomas C Kwee

doi:10.1148/ryct.2021200510

Diagnostic Performance of CO-RADS and the RSNA Classification System in Evaluating COVID-19 at Chest CT: A Meta-Analysis

Radiol Cardiothorac Imaging. 2021 Jan 14;3(1):e200510. doi: 10.1148/ryct.2021200510. eCollection 2021 Feb.

Authors

Robert M Kwee¹, Hugo J A Adams¹, Thomas C Kwee¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Radiology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen/Sittard/Geleen, The Netherlands (R.M.K.); Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (H.J.A.A.); Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands (T.C.K.).

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic performance of the COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) categorizations in patients with clinically suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.

Materials and methods: In this meta-analysis, studies from 2020, up to August 24, 2020 were assessed for inclusion criteria of studies that used CO-RADS or the RSNA categories for scoring chest CT in patients with suspected COVID-19. A total of 186 studies were identified. After review of abstracts and text, a total of nine studies were included in this study. Patient information (n¸ age, sex), CO-RADS and RSNA scoring categories, and other study characteristics were extracted. Study quality was assessed with the QUADAS-2 tool. Meta-analysis was performed with a random effects model.

Results: Nine studies (3283 patients) were included. Overall study quality was good, except for risk of non-performance of repeated reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after negative initial RT-PCR and persistent clinical suspicion in four studies. Pooled COVID-19 frequencies in CO-RADS categories were: 1, 8.8%; 2, 11.1%; 3, 24.6%; 4, 61.9%; and 5, 89.6%. Pooled COVID-19 frequencies in RSNA classification categories were: negative 14.4%; atypical, 5.7%; indeterminate, 44.9%; and typical, 92.5%. Pooled pairs of sensitivity and specificity using CO-RADS thresholds were the following: at least 3, 92.5% (95% CI: 87.1, 95.7) and 69.2% (95%: CI: 60.8, 76.4); at least 4, 85.8% (95% CI: 78.7, 90.9) and 84.6% (95% CI: 79.5, 88.5); and 5, 70.4% (95% CI: 60.2, 78.9) and 93.1% (95% CI: 87.7, 96.2). Pooled pairs of sensitivity and specificity using RSNA classification thresholds for indeterminate were 90.2% (95% CI: 87.5, 92.3) and 75.1% (95% CI: 68.9, 80.4) and for typical were 65.2% (95% CI: 37.0, 85.7) and 94.9% (95% CI: 86.4, 98.2).

Conclusion: COVID-19 infection frequency was higher in patients categorized with higher CORADS and RSNA classification categories.

2021 by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.