Inflammatory response in lungs and extrapulmonary sites detected by [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in convalescing COVID-19 patients tested negative for coronavirus

• DOI: 10.1007/s00259-020-05083-4
• Publication Date: 2021-01-09T13:05:11Z
• Authors: Yan Bai; Junling Xu; Lijuan Chen; Chang Fu; Yi Kang; Weifeng Zhang; Georges EI Fakhri; Jianqin Gu; Fengmin Shao; Meiyun Wang
• Keywords: Standardized uptake value; Coronavirus

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in an ongoing global pandemic of disease 2019 (COVID-19). challenges associated with imaging infected patients have resulted, to date, a paucity metabolic studies COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, it remains unclear if any abnormal events are taking place who recovered from COVID-19.To use [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F] FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) measure activity inflamed organs convalescing post infection.A prospective study was performed seven were recovering infection February 2020. Prior FDG PET/CT, all had received two consecutive negative results real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid. Clinical intake including symptoms, treatment, laboratory test results, and follow-up performed. PET/CT images compared control group that matched age sex.Residual pulmonary lesions present maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), average (SUVavg), CT intensity (CTmax), (CTavg) significantly greater than the (p < 0.01 all). In addition, SUVmax SUVavg mediastinal lymph node liver, spleen, controls 0.05 For (r2 = 0.863, p 0.003) 0.797, 0.007) correlated blood lymphocyte count, which below normal range five (71.4%) infection.[18F] quantitative analysis shown significant inflammation remained lungs, nodes, liver after RT-PCR tests