Unknown SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia detected by PET/CT in patients with cancer.
Tumori
; 106(4): 325-332, 2020 Aug.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-610582
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
In January 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Italy necessitated rigorous application of more restrictive safety procedures in the management and treatment of patients with cancer to ensure patient and staff protection. Identification of respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was a challenge during the pandemic owing to a large number of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients.METHODS:
We report 5 patients with unknown SARS-CoV-2 infection undergoing positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) with radiopharmaceuticals targeting different tumor processes 18F-FDG, 18F-choline (FCH), and 68Ga-PSMA.RESULTS:
In all patients, PET/CT showed increased tracer uptake in the lungs corresponding to CT findings of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Quantitative assessment of tracer uptake showed more elevated values for the glucose analogue 18F-FDG (mean SUVmax 5.4) than for the other tracers (mean SUVmax 3.5).CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings suggest that PET/CT is a sensitive modality to hypothesize SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in patients with cancer, even when asymptomatic. More data are needed to verify the correlation among immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, clinical evolution, and PET results. Under the strict safety measures implemented at the PET center, the number of potentially SARS-CoV-2-positive patients undergoing PET/CT was very low (1.6%), and no staff member has been diagnosed with infection as of April 30, 2020.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia
/
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
/
Neoplasms
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Tumori
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
0300891620935983
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