Evaluation of the Trachea and Bronchi in COVID-19 Patients Using the 3-Dimensional Reconstruction Method.

Objective: To evaluate changes in the trachea and bronchi of COVID-19 patients using the 3-dimensional reconstruction images obtained from chest CT (computed tomography) scans. Study Design: An observational study.Place and Duration of the Study: Departments of Anatomy and Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Lokman Hekim University, Ankara, Turkey, between March 2021 and January 2022.Methodology: There were 150 COVID-19 patients in the acute period and 150 individuals as the control group. The CT images were transferred to Mimics software, and a 3-dimensional reconstruction was performed. COVID-19 patients were grouped separately by gender, and their total lung severity score was classified as absent (Grade 0), mild (Grade 1), moderate (Grade 2), and severe (Grade 3).Results: The cross-sectional area and diameter of the right upper lobar bronchus decreased as the grade increased (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively). The circumference of the right upper lobar bronchus and the cross-sectional area and circumference of the left lower lobar bronchus were found to be narrower in Grade 1-2-3 COVID-19 patients compared to those of the control group (p<0.01, p<0.05, and p<0.05, respectively). The cross-sectional area, circumference, and diameter of the middle lobar bronchus were found to be narrower in Grade 3 COVID-19 patients (p<0.05, p<0.05, and p<0.05, respectively).Conclusion: Although mostly independent of the grade increase, narrowing of the trachea and bronchi was observed in COVID-19 patients in the acute period. Further research is required with to reveal whether the narrowings are permanent.