Long COVID hallmarks on [18F]FDG-PET/CT: a case-control study.

Martina Sollini Silvia Morbelli Michele Ciccarelli Maurizio Cecconi Alessio Aghemo Morelli Paola Silvia Chiola Fabrizia Gelardi Arturo Chiti

Published in: European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging (2021)

[18F]FDG PET/CT acknowledged the multi-organ nature of long COVID, supporting the hypothesis of underlying systemic inflammation. Whole-body images showed increased [18F]FDG uptake in several "target" and "non-target" tissues. We found a typical pattern of brain hypometabolism associated with persistent complaints at the PET time, suggesting a different temporal sequence for brain and whole-body inflammatory changes. This evidence underlined the potential value of whole-body [18F]FDG PET in disclosing the pathophysiology of long COVID.

Keyphrases

coronavirus disease
sars cov
pet ct
positron emission tomography
pet imaging
computed tomography
resting state
white matter
respiratory syndrome coronavirus
oxidative stress
deep learning
functional connectivity
multiple sclerosis
risk assessment
subarachnoid hemorrhage
human health