Molecular Imaging of Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease.

Noninvasive molecular imaging of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has great potential to detect GvHD at the early stages, aid in grading of the disease, monitor treatment response, and guide therapeutic decisions. Although the specificity of currently available tracers appears insufficient for clinical GvHD diagnosis, recently, several preclinical studies have identified promising new imaging agents targeting one or more biologic processes involved in GvHD pathogenesis, ranging from T-cell activation to tissue damage. In this review, we summarize the different approaches reported to date for noninvasive detection of GvHD using molecular imaging with a specific focus on the use of PET. We discuss possible applications of molecular imaging for the detection of GvHD in the clinical setting, as well as some of the predictable challenges that are faced during clinical translation of these approaches.

Thrombus Distribution in Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 Vaccination.

Vaccination strategies have been at the forefront of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. An association between vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) and one of these vaccines, the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine, is now recognized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and location of thrombosis in each vascular system using CT, MRI, and US to identify additional sites of thrombus in a United Kingdom-wide sample of patients with confirmed VITT. Thirty-two radiology centers identified through the national collaborative Radiology Academic Network for Trainees were invited from the United Kingdom; seven of these contributed to this study. All patients with confirmed VITT ¬between February 3 and May 12, 2021, who met the inclusion criteria were included. The location and extent of thrombi were evaluated using CT, MRI, and US. A total of 40 patients (median age, 41 years [IQR, 32-52]; 22 [55%] men) with confirmed vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia after administration of their first ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine were included. Thirty-two patients (80%) developed symptoms within the first 14 days, and eight (20%) developed symptoms within 14-28 days. Twenty-nine patients (72%) experienced neurologic symptoms and were confirmed to have cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 12 (30%) had clinical deterioration and repeat imaging demonstrated extension of their primary thrombus, and eight (20%) died. Twenty-five of 30 patients (83%) who underwent additional imaging had occult thrombosis. In conclusion, patients with VITT are likely to have multiple sites of thrombosis, with the most frequent being cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in combination with pulmonary embolism and portomesenteric venous thrombosis. Whole-body imaging with contrast-enhanced CT can be used to identify occult thrombosis.

Imaging and Hematologic Findings in Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AstraZeneca) Vaccination.

This case series reports six patients (four men and two women; median age, 38 years; interquartile range, 26-48 years) who presented with vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis beginning 3-26 days after receiving the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AstraZeneca) vaccine for COVID-19. The patients were admitted to a general hospital between 9 and 31 days after the first dose. All patients had strongly detected antiplatelet factor 4 antibodies and severe thrombosis. Laboratory features included thrombocytopenia and elevated d-dimer levels. Thrombotic events were predominantly venous; two patients had arterial or mixed arterial and venous thrombosis. All patients recovered after receiving intravenous immunoglobulin and nonheparin-based anticoagulation. © RSNA, 2021 An earlier incorrect version appeared online. This article was corrected on August 18, 2021.