{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]],"date-time":"2026-08-23T18:12:59Z","timestamp":1787508779809,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,8]],"date-time":"2025-11-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762560000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Alfred und Anneliese Sutter-St\u00f6ttner Foundation","award":["F-87401-36"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["F-87401-36"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of incidental findings in thoracic computed tomography (CT) performed because of COVID-19 and their potential impact on patient management. Methods: This retrospective analysis included 683 CT scans from 327 patients who underwent CT imaging of the thorax with or without the application of intravenous contrast-agents because of the primary indication of COVID-19. Radiological findings were categorized according to the COVID-19 Pneumonia Imaging Classification by four independent readers. Incidental findings were categorized according to a scale ranging from 0 (no patient impairment) to 3b (severe permanent impairment). Results: In the 683 CT-scans, typical COVID-19 findings were present in 273 scans (40.0%), atypical signs in 97 (14.2%), indeterminate findings in 40 (5.9%), and no signs of COVID-19 in 273 (40.0%). Incidental findings were reported in 94 out of 683 cases (13.8%), of which 63 (67.0%) were classified as category 0, 12 (12.8%) as category 1, 9 (9.6%) as category 2a, none (0.0%) as category 2b, 5 (5.3%) as category 3a, and 5 (5.3%) as category 3b. Conclusions: CT scans of the thorax for COVID-19 show a small but significant number of incidental findings that require further investigation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics15222832","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,10]],"date-time":"2025-11-10T10:35:31Z","timestamp":1762770931000},"page":"2832","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Clinical Relevance and Follow-Up of Incidental CT Imaging Findings for COVID-19 Diagnosis: A Retrospective Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-6618-533X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marc","family":"Marty","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bjarne","family":"Kerber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Frederik","family":"Abel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1225-3016","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jonas","family":"Kroschke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3295-6619","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas","family":"Frauenfelder","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8326-0777","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sabine","family":"Franckenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"157","article-title":"WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic","volume":"91","author":"Cucinotta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Biomed."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"20","article-title":"COVID-19 pandemic: From origins to outcomes. 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