FDG PET/CT imaging features and clinical utility in COVID-19 Journal Article
| Authors: | Yeh, R.; Elsakka, A.; Wray, R.; Perez Johnston, R.; Gangai, N. C.; Yarmohammadi, H.; Schoder, H.; Pandit-Taskar, N. |
| Article Title: | FDG PET/CT imaging features and clinical utility in COVID-19 |
| Abstract: | Purpose: To determine the imaging findings and potential clinical utility of FDG PET/CT in patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Methods: We performed a single institution retrospective review of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 using real time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) who underwent FDG PET/CT for routine cancer care between March 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020, during the height of the pandemic in New York City, New York, United States. PET/CT scans were retrospectively reviewed for imaging findings suspicious for COVID-19. For positive scans, PET and CT findings were recorded, including location, FDG avidity (SUVmax) and CT morphology. Patient demographics and COVID-19 specific clinical data were collected and analyzed with respect to PET/CT scan positivity, lung SUVmax, and time interval between PET/CT and RT-PCR. Results: Thirty-one patients (21 males and 10 females, mean age 57 years ± 16) were evaluated. Thirteen of 31 patients had positive PET/CT scans, yielding a detection rate of 41.9%. Patients with positive scans had significantly higher rates of symptomatic COVID-19 infection (77% vs 28%, p = 0.01) and hospitalizations (46% vs. 0%, p = 0.002) compared to patients with negative scans. Eleven of 13 patients (84.6%) with positive scans had FDG-avid lung findings, with mean lung SUVmax of 5.36. Six of 13 patients (46.2%) had extrapulmonary findings of FDG-avid thoracic lymph nodes. The detection rate was significantly lower when the scan was performed before RT-PCR versus after RT-PCR (18.8% (n = 3/16) vs. 66.7% (n = 10/15), p = 0.009). Lung SUVmax was not associated with COVID-19 symptoms, severity, or disease course. Conclusion: FDG PET/CT has limited sensitivity for detecting COVID-19 infection. However, a positive PET scan is associated with higher risk of symptomatic infection and hospitalizations, which may be helpful in predicting disease severity. © 2021 |
| Keywords: | polymerase chain reaction; patient monitoring; computerized tomography; clinical utility; biological organs; pet/ct; ct imaging; fdg pet; ct-scan; detection rates; imaging features; reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; coronavirus disease 2019; covid-19 |
| Journal Title: | Clinical Imaging |
| Volume: | 80 |
| ISSN: | 0899-7071 |
| Publisher: | Elsevier Inc. |
| Date Published: | 2021-12-01 |
| Start Page: | 262 |
| End Page: | 267 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.clinimag.2021.08.002 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PMCID: | PMC8349436 |
| PUBMED: | 34418873 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Article -- Export Date: 1 September 2021 -- Source: Scopus |
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546Schoder -
343Pandit-Taskar -
131Yarmohammadi -
61Gangai -
70Yeh -
12Elsakka -
18Wray
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