Comparison of Chest Computed Tomography Findings between Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women with COVID-19 Infection in Douala Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, Cameroon

Introduction: Pregnancy is a physiologic state associated with decreased immunity, and the use of medical imaging modalities with ionizing radiation must be justified as potential benefits must outweigh the risk of any harm. However, in the wake of SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic, chest computed tomography (CT) is necessary to assess the severity of the disease. The objective of this study was to compare the chest CT findings of pregnant and non-pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 viral pneumonia at a tertiary hospital setting. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive study of admission records of pregnant and non-pregnant patients aged 15 - 49 years during a three (3) months period (April-July 2020) in DGOPH. Logistic regression was used to search for predictors of lung involvement during COVID-19. Results: A total of 31 patient files were studied of which 9 (29%) were those of pregnant women. The pregnant women mostly had a combination of lung ground-glass opacities and consolidation on CT compared to the non-pregnant women (7 out of 9 cases, 77.8%, vs. 6 out of 22 cases, 22.7%; p = 0.01). The group of pregnant women had more than 3 affected lobes (50.0% vs. 22.7%, p = 0.04) with a middle lobe predilection (77.8% vs. 31.8%, p = 0.02). CT predictors of COVID-19 pneumonia in the group of pregnant women after the multivariable logistic regression analysis were the presence of nodules (aOR = 13.9; 95% CI: 1.25 - 134.2; p = 0.032) and linear bands of interlobular septal thickening (aOR = 17.8; 95% CI: 1.46 - 217.6; p = 0.024). Conclusion: In this study, the chest CT of pregnant women with COVID-19 pneumonia revealed mostly a combination of findings compared to non-pregnant women, with more affected lobes. These findings suggest the likelihood of a greater CT severity of COVID-19 pneumonia among pregnant women and therefore the need for timely and appropriate management.