Increased incidence of interstitial pneumonia detected on [18F]-FDG-PET/CT in asymptomatic cancer patients during COVID-19 pandemic in Lombardy: a casualty or COVID-19 infection?
Lucia SettiManuela BonacinaRoberta MeroniMargarita KirienkoFrancesca GalliSerena Camilla DaltoPaola Anna ErbaEmilio BombardieriPublished in: European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging (2020)
Significant increase of interstitial lung alterations at [18F]-FDG PET/CT has been demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the incidence curve of imaging abnormalities resulted in resembling the epidemiological data of the general population. These data support the rationale to adopt [18F]-FDG PET/CT as sentinel modality to identify suspicious COVID-19 cases to be referred for additional confirmatory testing. Nuclear medicine physicians and staff should continue active surveillance of interstitial pneumonia findings, especially when new infection peak is expected.
Keyphrases
- risk factors
- electronic health record
- coronavirus disease
- sars cov
- primary care
- big data
- high resolution
- clinical trial
- respiratory failure
- community acquired pneumonia
- intensive care unit
- machine learning
- artificial intelligence
- long term care
- photodynamic therapy
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- mechanical ventilation