ABSTRACT
As the global COVID-19 pandemic progresses, many medical imaging methods such as X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, 18F-FDG PET/CT, and PET/MR have played important roles in the diagnosis and evaluation of COVID-19. Usually, X-ray and CT are the main tools for the diagnosis and evaluation of COVID-19. However, it is often difficult for a single imaging method to fully reflect the characteristics of the disease. Therefore the application of various imaging modalities for a comprehensive assessment of the condition will provide greater benefit to COVID-19 patients and to the understanding of the disease as COVID starts to become more widespread and less understood.
ABSTRACT
Severe COVID-19 cases are patients meeting any of the following criteria: (1) respiratory distress, respiration rate ≥ 30 breaths/min;(2) oxygen saturation <93% at rest;and (3) partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen≤300mm Hg. Besides, patients with rapid progression (>50%) within 24–48h based on computed tomography (CT) imaging results are deemed as the severe type. The lung areas of pneumonia involved in the severe type are more extended than that in the common type. Besides plain radiography and CT, Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/CT images in seven cases and PET/MR images in one case are also illustrated in this chapter. Increased or normal metabolic activity is noticed in the pneumonia area. Increased metabolic activity is noticed in the mediastinal lymph nodes.