Accidental diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia after 18F FDG PET/CT: a case series
- PDF / 1,539,842 Bytes
- 8 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 91 Downloads / 113 Views
PICTORIAL ESSAY
Accidental diagnosis of COVID‑19 pneumonia after 18F FDG PET/CT: a case series Laura Olivari1 · Niccolò Riccardi2 · Paola Rodari2 · Dora Buonfrate2 · Stefania Diodato1 · Fabio Formenti2 · Andrea Angheben2 · Matteo Salgarello1 Received: 8 July 2020 / Accepted: 11 September 2020 / Published online: 24 September 2020 © Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2020
Abstract Purpose The aim of this case series is to illustrate possible [18F]-FDG uptake patterns associated to COVID-19. Methods Retrospective assessment of all Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) scans performed for any clinical / oncological reason from 1st April 2020 to 30th April 2020. Results of PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 were retrieved for all patients with lung consolidations and/or peripheral ground glass opacities characterized by increased metabolism to evaluate any possible association with the viral infection. Results Seven (4%) out of 172 FDG-PET scans were included. Six out of seven patients (85%) had positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2, while one patient (15%) had possible (not PCR confirmed) COVID-19 pneumonia. Conclusion Suspicious accidental COVID-19 findings in Nuclear Medicine Department need to be reported and appropriately evaluated to implement proper supportive treatment and infection control measures. Keywords COVID-19 · SARS-CoV-2 · FDG PET/CT · Imaging · Diagnosis · Ground-glass opacity
Introduction The novel beta-coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Coronavirus (CoV)-2, the etiological agent of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia, is posing a threat to human beings worldwide [1, 2]. The virus, first discovered in Wuhan (Hubei province, China) as the responsible of pneumonia of unknown origin, spreads quickly to all continents, causing more than 5.5 million cases [3]. COVID-19 took a huge toll on Italy, with more than 230,000 cases and 34,000 deaths [4] up to 1st June 2020. Even if challenging, early identification of the severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) held by SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for patient clinical management and infection control. SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing on nasal and pharyngeal * Laura Olivari [email protected] 1
Department of Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Don Angelo Sempreboni, 5, Cap 37024 Negrar Di Valpolicella, VR, Italy
Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar Di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
2
swabs is currently the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis [5, 6], however, false-negative results can occur and, if the clinical–epidemiological suspect remains high despite a first negative swab, further evaluation for SARS-CoV-2 infection is still recommended [7]. Even asymptomatic patients may show abnormalities in chest computer tomography (CT) or chest X-Ray, performed for other clinical reasons, leading to the suspect of COVID-19 infection [8, 9]. Fluorine-18 fluo
Data Loading...
