Subject(s)
Asymptomatic Infections , COVID-19/diagnostic imaging , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography , Aged , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing , Carcinoma/diagnostic imaging , Carcinoma/secondary , Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Lymph Nodes/diagnostic imaging , Male , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnostic imaging , Patient Compliance , Radiopharmaceuticals , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on FDG-PET/CT work volume and to evaluate the occurrence of abnormal imaging findings suspicious or potentially diagnostic for interstitial pneumonia by Covid-19 infection in south Italy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the number and the findings of FDG-PET/CT studies acquired between February and April 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic at the University of Napoli Federico II. The number and the findings of FDG-PET/CT studies acquired in the corresponding period of 2019 were also assessed for direct comparison. RESULTS: The number of FDG-PET/CT studies performed during the pandemic (n = 299) and in the corresponding period of 2019 (n = 335) were comparable. The percentage of abnormal FDG-PET/CT findings, suspicious for interstitial pneumonia by Covid-19 infection, was significantly higher during the pandemic (9%) compared with that found in the corresponding period of 2019 (4%) (χ2 5.45, P = 0.02). No significant differences were observed in the distribution of Covid-19 reporting and data system (CO-RADS) classification and in the maximum standardized uptake value between the pandemic (2.6 ± 2.2) and the corresponding period of 2019 (3.2 ± 1.4). Of note, patients with abnormal imaging findings during the pandemic time had clinical data and/or laboratory tests negative for Covid-19 infection. CONCLUSION: Despite the restrictive medical measures for the emergency, the number of FDG-PET/CT studies was unchanged during the pandemic compared with the previous year. Our findings also indicate that Covid-19 infection was contained in our series of patients from southern Italy.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus , Coronavirus Infections/diagnostic imaging , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnostic imaging , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography , COVID-19 , Carcinoma/complications , Carcinoma/diagnostic imaging , Coronavirus Infections/complications , Fluorine Radioisotopes , Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Laryngeal Neoplasms/complications , Laryngeal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Pneumonia, Viral/complications , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography/statistics & numerical data , Procedures and Techniques Utilization , Radiopharmaceuticals , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Thymoma/complications , Thymoma/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
COVID-19 has been officially declared as a pandemic by the WHO. Italy was the first European country to be strongly affected by this outbreak. All elective and health promotion activities were reduced. Accordingly, Italian Breast Units and breast cancer (BC) screening programs scaled down significantly their activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate measures that could potentially reduce the clinical impact of COVID-19 on BC patients. Temporary recommendations are needed that could assist specialists in preventing COVID-19 infection and optimizing resources for diagnosis and treatment of BC patients.