Signs of tracheobronchitis may constitute the principal finding on the lung SPECT/CT images of COVID-19 patients.
Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging
; 48(8): 2525-2530, 2021 07.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33420611
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the rates of tracheobronchitis signs observed on the ventilation scans of COVID-19 patients with shortness of breath, with comparisons to a non-COVID population. METHODS: Lung scintigraphy was collected in 10 such COVID patients, as well as from a non-COVID population investigated outside the epidemic wave period, on a CZT-SPECT/CT system, with ventilation images recorded with 99mTc-labeled Technegas® and perfusion images with 99mTc-labeled albumin macroaggregates. RESULTS: A diffuse tracheobronchial uptake was observed on the ventilation scans from 3 COVID patients (30%), whereas this rate was 3% (3/90) in the non-COVID group (P = 0.013). These 3 patients had no laryngeal extension of Technegas® uptake and limited parenchymal lung abnormalities. Follow-up scintigraphy demonstrated the withdrawal of tracheobronchitis signs in two cases, and the advent of a severe pulmonary embolism in one. CONCLUSION: Signs of tracheobronchitis may constitute the principal finding on lung SPECT/CT images of COVID-19 patients with shortness of breath.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging
Journal subject:
MEDICINA NUCLEAR
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
France
Country of publication:
Germany