Synapse - Detection of COVID-19 pulmonary manifestations with radiotherapy simulation CT imaging

Detection of COVID-19 pulmonary manifestations with radiotherapy simulation CT imaging Journal Article

Authors:	Wu, A. J.; Plodkowski, A.; Ginsberg, M.; Shin, J.; LaPlant, Q.; Shepherd, A.; Shaverdian, N.; Ng, V.; Gelblum, D.; Braunstein, L.; Rimner, A.
Article Title:	Detection of COVID-19 pulmonary manifestations with radiotherapy simulation CT imaging
Abstract:	COVID-19 is associated with characteristic lung CT findings. Radiotherapy simulation CT scans may reveal characteristic COVID-19 findings and identify patients with active or prior infection. We reviewed patients undergoing CT simulation at a major cancer center in an early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Scans were reviewed by radiation oncologists using established radiographic criteria for COVID-19 pneumonia. Radiographic classifications were compared with available COVID-19 PCR test results. A one-tailed t-test was used to compare the rate of positive COVID-19 tests in radiographically suspicious vs. non-suspicious groups. Scans deemed suspicious were re-reviewed by expert diagnostic radiologists. 414 CT simulation scans were performed on 400 patients. 119 patients had COVID-19 PCR test results available. Radiation oncologists considered 71 scans (17.1%) suspicious for COVID-19. Of these, 23 had corresponding COVID-19 PCR tests, and 3/23 (15.7%) were positive for COVID. 107 non-suspicious scans had corresponding COVID-19 test results, and 9 were positive (8.4%). The difference in positive test results between suspicious and non-suspicious groups was not significant (p = 0.23). Upon re-review by a diagnostic radiologist, 25 (35%) scans deemed suspicious by radiation oncologists were confirmed to meet criteria, while the rest were re-classified as “atypical” for COVID-19. We conclude that radiotherapy simulation CT scans can be reviewed for signs of COVID-19 pneumonia by radiation oncologists. However, suspicious CT simulation was not associated with a higher incidence of COVID infection compared with non-suspicious CT simulation, and there was low concordance between radiation oncologist and diagnostic radiologist classification of scans. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
Keywords:	radiotherapy; pneumonia; simulation; computerized tomography; screening; diagnosis; testing; ct; radiation oncologists; ct imaging; t-tests; ct simulation; ct-scan; covid-19; epicentre; lung ct
Journal Title:	Clinical Imaging
Volume:	93
ISSN:	0899-7071
Publisher:	Elsevier Inc.
Date Published:	2023-01-01
Start Page:	83
End Page:	85
Language:	English
DOI:	10.1016/j.clinimag.2022.11.008
PROVIDER:	scopus
PUBMED:	36413878
PMCID:	PMC9672689
DOI/URL:	https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85142190606&doi=10.1016%2fj.clinimag.2022.11.008&partnerID=40&md5=0cc271d98682b88a71984a1652200feb
Notes:	Article -- The NIH/NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA008748 is acknowledged in PubMed and in the PDF -- Corresponding author is MSK author Abraham J. Wu -- Export Date: 1 December 2022 -- Source: Scopus