Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the screening results for pulmonary nodules before and after the COVID-19 epidemic to understand the influence of the COVID-19 epidemic on the detection rate of pulmonary nodules and the detection rate of high-risk pulmonary nodules. METHODS: A total of 18,906 chest CT scans were performed between March and November 2022 and between March and November 2023. Subjects from March to December 2022 were divided into the pre-epidemic group, and subjects from March to December 2023 were divided into the post-epidemic group. The detection rates of lung nodules, high risk nodules, different age groups, and gender groups were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 11513 lung nodules were detected during screening. A total of 841 high risk nodules were detected, and the detection rate of solid nodules was significantly higher in the postepidemic group than in the pre-epidemic group. The detection rate of fibrotic changes was significantly higher in the postepidemic group than in the pre-epidemic group. The detection rate of pulmonary nodules is significantly higher in those aged > 51 years compared to those aged 50 years and below. CONCLUSION: In the post-COVID-19 period, there has been a significant increase in the detection of solid pulmonary nodules. This increased detection rate is predominantly observed in medical patients over 51 years of age. However, the COVID-19 epidemic has not resulted in an increased detection rate of high risk nodules.