COVID-19-Related Incidental Pancreatitis Detected on FDG-PET Scan.

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)/coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection predominantly affects the respiratory system, it has also been found to be responsible for several gastrointestinal effects due to its capability to attack angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) type 2 cells in various parts of the body. Several cases of radiologically confirmed thyroiditis, axillary lymphangitis, and acute pancreatitis related to COVID-19 infection have been reported, which seem to arise from a direct cytotoxic effect of the virus itself. This case report presents an incidental 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography (CT) finding of mild pancreatic inflammation/pancreatitis in an otherwise asymptomatic patient undergoing routine imaging as part of the staging process following stem cell transplant, who had recently recovered from a severe form of COVID infection. This case highlights the fact that COVID can trigger insidious inflammatory processes in a variety of organs often remaining clinically undetectable until resultant end-organ damage causes incipient clinical symptoms.

Ambulatory Same-Day Map-and-Treat Angiography for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy Using a Transradial Approach.

Historically, selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with yttrium-90 (Y-90) requires a two-week interval between workup and treatment (map and treat). The intervening gap between workup and treatment is used to plan for the dose required and obtain delivery of the radioactive Y-90. During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the delivery of a robust SIRT service was challenging due to unprecedented demands on all hospital services. Emergent practice changes were required to ensure this service could still be delivered to patients while retaining sufficient inpatient hospital beds and services for acutely unwell patients. In response to this, the interventional radiology team proposed the retention of a full SIRT service by removing the historical two-week interval between map and treat, delivering both components of the SIRT procedure on the same day. A traditional approach using femoral access would require a prolonged period of immobility and potentially an overnight stay. By adopting a transradial approach without sedo-analgesia, an ambulatory day-case map and treat SIRT with no post-procedure immobilisation was performed. This case report demonstrates the technical feasibility of same-day 'map-and-treat' SIRT, highlighting a paradigm shift from the conventional femoral access method and immobilisation to an 'ambulatory' approach with immediate mobilisation post-procedure.