Dual-energy CT angiography reveals high prevalence of perfusion defects unrelated to pulmonary embolism in COVID-19 lesions

• DOI: 10.1186/s13244-021-00972-0
• Publication Date: 2021-02-20T08:35:47Z
• Authors: Alice Le Berre; Tom Boeken; Caroline Caramella; Daniel Afonso; Caroline Nhy; Laetitia Saccenti; Anne-Marie Tardivel; Sophie Gerber; Adrien Frison Roche; Joseph Emmerich; Valeria Marini; Marc Zins; Sarah Toledano
• Keywords: Pulmonary angiography; Neuroradiology; Interventional radiology

Abstract Background Lung perfusion defects (PDs) have been described in COVID-19 using dual-energy computed tomography pulmonary angiography (DE-CTPA). We assessed the prevalence and characteristics of PDs patients with suspected embolism (PE) negative CTPA. Methods This retrospective study included non-COVID-19 pneumonia groups DE-CTPA for PE. Two radiologists rated presence PD within lung opacities analyzed type pattern (i.e. homogeneous or heterogeneous). The clinical, biological, radiological including time from first symptoms admission to DE-CTPA, oxygen requirements, CRP, D-dimer levels, duration hospital death were compared group between (PD +) without (PD-). Results 67 79 included. more frequent than (59.7% 26.6% respectively, p < 0.001). Patterns different, exhibiting heterogenous (38/40, 95%) whereas showed mostly (7/21 heterogeneous PDs, 33%), 0.001. In patients, most consolidations (9/10, 90%) exhibited while less a third (19/67, 28%) had patients. D-dimer, levels outcome similar + PD- patients; however, was longer (median [IQR], 1 [0–7] 0 [0–2]; = 0.045). Conclusion Unlike bacterial pneumonia, are feature PE-suspected