1. Unknown SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia detected by PET/CT in patients with cancer.
- Author
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Scarlattei M, Baldari G, Silva M, Bola S, Sammartano A, Migliari S, Graziani T, Cidda C, Sverzellati N, and Ruffini L
- Subjects
- Betacoronavirus pathogenicity, COVID-19, Contrast Media therapeutic use, Coronavirus Infections complications, Coronavirus Infections therapy, Coronavirus Infections virology, Disease Outbreaks, Female, Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 therapeutic use, Gallium Isotopes, Gallium Radioisotopes, Humans, Italy epidemiology, Lung diagnostic imaging, Lung pathology, Male, Membrane Glycoproteins therapeutic use, Neoplasms complications, Neoplasms therapy, Neoplasms virology, Organometallic Compounds therapeutic use, Pandemics, Pneumonia complications, Pneumonia therapy, Pneumonia virology, Pneumonia, Viral complications, Pneumonia, Viral therapy, Pneumonia, Viral virology, Radiopharmaceuticals therapeutic use, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus Infections diagnosis, Neoplasms diagnosis, Pneumonia diagnosis, Pneumonia, Viral diagnosis, Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
- 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:
18 F-FDG,18 F-choline (FCH), and68 Ga-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 analogue18 F-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.- Published
- 2020
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