Fig. 5
From: Chest dual-energy CT to assess the effects of steroids on lung function in severe COVID-19 patients
Representative example of DECT scans collected on the No-Steroids group (left) and the Steroids group (right). On the left: Patient not treated with steroids (No-Steroids group). On the right: Patient treated with steroids (Steroids group). For both No-Steroids and Steroids group, upper images show a pulmonary gas volume image (left) and the corresponding map (right); lower images show a pulmonary blood volume image (left) and the corresponding map (right). Different colormaps have been used to emphasize different degree of pulmonary gas and blood volume. For pulmonary gas volume maps, the range of HU is between − 1000 and + 100 HU. For pulmonary blood volume maps, the range of HU is between 0 and + 100 HU. 0 HU corresponding to non-perfused areas, 100 HU corresponding to highly perfused areas. The red arrow indicates the areas of preserved hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction where the areas of low pulmonary blood volume correspond to the areas of low inflation