Incidental findings suggestive of COVID-19 in asymptomatic cancer patients undergoing 18F-FDG PET/CT in a low prevalence region.
Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging
; 48(1): 287-292, 2021 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32860074
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
To assess the rate and pattern of incidental interstitial lung abnormalities suggestive of COVID-19 on 18F-FDG PET/CT in asymptomatic cancer patients during the period of active COVID-19 circulation between March and April 2020 in a geographic area of low prevalence of the virus.METHODS:
1396 18F-FDG PET/CT performed between January 1, 2020, and February 21, 2020, and between March 16, 2020, and April 17, 2020 for routine oncological indication were retrospectively analyzed. No patients had symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 at the time of the 18F-FDG PET/CT. Incidental interstitial pneumonias suggestive of COVID-19 were identified, and the 18F-FDG PET/CT patterns were described. We compared the incidence of these lesions in the pre-COVID and pandemic phases.RESULTS:
We observed a 1.6% increase in interstitial lung abnormalities during the period of COVID-19 circulation. All had < 50% lung involvement. We describe a case series with typical and atypical interstitial pneumonias suggestive of COVID-19 as unilateral or bilateral with ground-glass opacity, consolidation, or crazy-paving patterns.CONCLUSION:
The relatively low increase in incidental findings suggestive of COVID-19 infection on 18F-FDG PET/CT in asymptomatic cancer patients was in accordance with the low COVID-19 transmission in our geographic region. Nevertheless, nuclear medicine physicians should familiarize themselves with typical and atypical 18F-FDG PET/CT patterns suggestive of COVID-19 pneumonia and initiate appropriate intervention where necessary.Key words
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Incidental Findings
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Asymptomatic Infections
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Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
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COVID-19
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Neoplasms
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
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Prevalence_studies
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Prognostic_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Language:
En
Year:
2021
Type:
Article