Purpose: To assess the presence and pattern of incidental interstitial lung alterations suspicious of COVID-19 on fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) ([18F]FDG PET/CT) in asymptomatic oncological patients during the period of active COVID-19 in a country with high prevalence of the virus. Methods: This is a multi-center retrospective observational study involving 59 Italian centers. We retrospectively reviewed the prevalence of interstitial pneumonia detected during the COVID period (between March 16 and 27, 2020) and compared to a pre-COVID period (January–February 2020) and a control time (in 2019). The diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia was done considering lung alterations of CT of PET. Results: Overall, [18F]FDG PET/CT was performed on 4008 patients in the COVID period, 19,267 in the pre-COVID period, and 5513 in the control period. The rate of interstitial pneumonia suspicious for COVID-19 was significantly higher during the COVID period (7.1%) compared with that found in the pre-COVID (5.35%) and control periods (5.15%) (p < 0.001). Instead, no significant difference among pre-COVID and control periods was present. The prevalence of interstitial pneumonia detected at PET/CT was directly associated with geographic virus diffusion, with the higher rate in Northern Italy. Among 284 interstitial pneumonia detected during COVID period, 169 (59%) were FDG-avid (average SUVmax of 4.1). Conclusions: A significant increase of interstitial pneumonia incidentally detected with [18F]FDG PET/CT has been demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of interstitial pneumonia were FDG-avid. Our results underlined the importance of paying attention to incidental CT findings of pneumonia detected at PET/CT, and these reports might help to recognize early COVID-19 cases guiding the subsequent management.

Prevalence of interstitial pneumonia suggestive of COVID-19 at 18F-FDG PET/CT in oncological asymptomatic patients in a high prevalence country during pandemic period: a national multi-centric retrospective study

Volterrani D.;
2021-01-01

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the presence and pattern of incidental interstitial lung alterations suspicious of COVID-19 on fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) ([18F]FDG PET/CT) in asymptomatic oncological patients during the period of active COVID-19 in a country with high prevalence of the virus. Methods: This is a multi-center retrospective observational study involving 59 Italian centers. We retrospectively reviewed the prevalence of interstitial pneumonia detected during the COVID period (between March 16 and 27, 2020) and compared to a pre-COVID period (January–February 2020) and a control time (in 2019). The diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia was done considering lung alterations of CT of PET. Results: Overall, [18F]FDG PET/CT was performed on 4008 patients in the COVID period, 19,267 in the pre-COVID period, and 5513 in the control period. The rate of interstitial pneumonia suspicious for COVID-19 was significantly higher during the COVID period (7.1%) compared with that found in the pre-COVID (5.35%) and control periods (5.15%) (p < 0.001). Instead, no significant difference among pre-COVID and control periods was present. The prevalence of interstitial pneumonia detected at PET/CT was directly associated with geographic virus diffusion, with the higher rate in Northern Italy. Among 284 interstitial pneumonia detected during COVID period, 169 (59%) were FDG-avid (average SUVmax of 4.1). Conclusions: A significant increase of interstitial pneumonia incidentally detected with [18F]FDG PET/CT has been demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of interstitial pneumonia were FDG-avid. Our results underlined the importance of paying attention to incidental CT findings of pneumonia detected at PET/CT, and these reports might help to recognize early COVID-19 cases guiding the subsequent management.
2021
Albano, D.; Bertagna, F.; Alongi, P.; Baldari, S.; Baldoncini, A.; Bartolomei, M.; Boccaletto, F.; Boero, M.; Borsatti, E.; Bruno, A.; Burroni, L.; Capoccetti, F.; Castellani, M.; Cervino, A. R.; Chierichetti, F.; Ciarmiello, A.; Corso, A.; Cuocolo, A.; De Rimini, M. L.; Deandreis, D.; Dottorini, M. E.; Esposito, F.; Farsad, M.; Gasparini, M.; Grana, C. M.; Gregianin, M.; Guerra, L.; Loreti, F.; Lupi, A.; Martino, G.; Milan, E.; Modoni, S.; Morbelli, S.; Muni, A.; Nicolai, E.; Palumbo, B.; Papa, S.; Papaleo, A.; Pellerito, R.; Poti, C.; Romano, P.; Rossetti, C.; Rossini, P.; Rubini, G.; Ruffini, L.; Sacchetti, G.; Savelli, G.; Schiavariello, S.; Sciagra, R.; Sciuto, R.; Seregni, E.; Sestini, S.; Sicolo, M.; Spanu, A.; Storto, G.; Balducci, M. T.; Trifiro, G.; Versari, A.; Vignati, A.; Volterrani, D.; Calcagni, M. L.; Marzola, M. C.; Garufo, A.; Evangelista, L.; Maroldi, R.; Schillaci, O.; Giubbini, R.; Bonacina, M.; Laudicella, R.; Spallino, M.; Palucci, A.; Cuzzocrea, M.; Donner, M.; Maurea, S.; Ceci, F.; Dei Rossi, F.; Tranfaglia, B.; Sartorello, A.; Gandolfo, P.; Buschiazzo, A.; Scarale, A.; Kirienko, M.; Merenda, N.; Nappi, A. G.; Durmo, R.; Vellani, C.; Ceriani, V.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/1098364
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