COVID-19: Correlation between HRCT findings and clinical prognosis and analysis of parenchymal pattern evolution.

Objectives: Severe acute respiratory syndrome - coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a single-stranded positive ribonucleic acid virus of the coronaviridae family. The disease caused by this virus has been named by the World Health Organization coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), whose main manifestation is interstitial pneumonia. Aim of this study is to describe the radiological features of SARS-CoV-2 infection in its original form, to correlate the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) patterns with clinical findings, prognosis and mortality, and to establish the need for treatment and admission to the intensive care unit. Material and Methods: From March 2020 to May 2020, 193 patients (72 F and 121 M) who were swab positive for SARS-CoV-2 were retrospectively selected for our study. These patients underwent HRCT in the clinical suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 interstitial pneumonia. Results: Our results confirm the role of radiology and, in particular, of chest HRCT as a technique with high sensitivity in the recognition of the most peculiar features of COVID-19 pneumonia, in the evaluation of severity of the disease, in the correct interpretation of temporal changes of the radiological picture during the follow-up until the resolution, and in obtaining prognostic information, also to direct the treatment. Conclusion: Chest computed tomography cannot be considered as a substitute for real-time - polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of COVID-19, but rather supplementary to it in the diagnostic process as it can detect parenchymal changes at an early stage and even before the positive swab, at least for patients who have been symptomatic for more than 3 days.

Secondary Complications in COVID-19 Patients: A Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, primarily causes a respiratory tract infection that is not limited to respiratory distress syndrome, but it is also implicated in other body systems. Systemic complications were reported due to an exaggerated inflammatory response, which involves severe alveolar damage in the lungs and exacerbates the hypercoagulation that leads to venous thrombosis, ischemic attack, vascular dysfunction and infarction of visceral abdominal organs. Some complications are related to anticoagulant drugs that are administrated to stabilize hypercoagulability, but increase the risk of bleeding, hematoma and hemorrhage. The aim of this study is to report the diagnostic role of CT in the early diagnosis and management of patients with severe COVID-19 complications through the most interesting cases in our experience. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The retrospective analysis of patients studied for COVID-19 in our institution and hospitals, which are part of the university training network, was performed. CASES: Pneumomediastinum, cortical kidney necrosis, splenic infarction, cerebral ischemic stroke, thrombosis of the lower limb and hematomas are the most major complications that are reviewed in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CT imaging modality with its high sensitivity and specificity remains the preferred imaging choice to diagnose early the different complications associated with COVID-19, such as thrombosis, ischemic stroke, infarction and pneumomediastinum, and their management, which significantly improved the outcomes.

Virtual Reality Rehabilitation Systems for Cancer Survivors: A Narrative Review of the Literature.

Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in cancer care, as the functioning of cancer survivors is frequently compromised by impairments that can result from the disease itself but also from the long-term sequelae of the treatment. Nevertheless, the current literature shows that only a minority of patients receive physical and/or cognitive rehabilitation. This lack of rehabilitative care is a consequence of many factors, one of which includes the transportation issues linked to disability that limit the patient's access to rehabilitation facilities. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has further shown the benefits of improving telemedicine and home-based rehabilitative interventions to facilitate the delivery of rehabilitation programs when attendance at healthcare facilities is an obstacle. In recent years, researchers have been investigating the benefits of the application of virtual reality to rehabilitation. Virtual reality is shown to improve adherence and training intensity through gamification, allow the replication of real-life scenarios, and stimulate patients in a multimodal manner. In our present work, we offer an overview of the present literature on virtual reality-implemented cancer rehabilitation. The existence of wide margins for technological development allows us to expect further improvements, but more randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the hypothesis that VRR may improve adherence rates and facilitate telerehabilitation.