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(1) Background: Respiratory insufficiency with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ dysfunction leads to high mortality in COVID-19 patients. In times of limited intensive care unit (ICU) resources, chest CTs became an important tool for the assessment of lung involvement and for patient triage despite uncertainties about the predictive diagnostic value. This study evaluated chest CT-based imaging parameters for their potential to predict in-hospital mortality compared to clinical scores. (2) Methods: 89 COVID-19 ICU ARDS patients requiring mechanical ventilation or continuous positive airway pressure mask ventilation were included in this single center retrospective study. AI-based lung injury assessment and measurements indicating pulmonary hypertension (PA-to-AA ratio) on admission CT, oxygenation indices, lung compliance and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores on ICU admission were assessed for their diagnostic performance to predict in-hospital mortality. (3) Results: CT severity scores and PA-to-AA ratios were not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality, whereas the SOFA score showed a significant association (p < 0.001). In ROC analysis, the SOFA score resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) for in-hospital mortality of 0.74 (95%-CI 0.63–0.85), whereas CT severity scores (0.53, 95%-CI 0.40–0.67) and PA-to-AA ratios (0.46, 95%-CI 0.34–0.58) did not yield sufficient AUCs. These results were consistent for the subgroup of more critically ill patients with moderate and severe ARDS on admission (oxygenation index <200, n = 53) with an AUC for SOFA score of 0.77 (95%-CI 0.64–0.89), compared to 0.55 (95%-CI 0.39–0.72) for CT severity scores and 0.51 (95%-CI 0.35–0.67) for PA-to-AA ratios. (4) Conclusions: Severe COVID-19 disease is not limited to lung (vessel) injury but leads to a multi-organ involvement. The findings of this study suggest that risk stratification should not solely be based on chest CT parameters but needs to include multi-organ failure assessment for COVID-19 ICU ARDS patients for optimized future patient management and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are relatively rare neoplasms arising from the hormone-producing neuroendocrine system that can occur in various organs such as pancreas, small bowel, stomach and lung. As the majority of these tumors express somatostatin receptors (SSR) on their cell membrane, utilization of SSR analogs in nuclear medicine is a promising, but relatively costly approach for detection and localization. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of 68Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT (Gallium-68 DOTA-TATE Positron emission tomography/computed tomography) compared to 111In-pentetreotide SPECT/CT (Indium-111 pentetreotide Single Photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography) and to CT (computed tomography) alone in detection of NETs. A decision model on the basis of Markov simulations evaluated lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) related to either a CT, SPECT/CT or PET/CT. Model input parameters were obtained from publicized research projects. The analysis is grounded on the US healthcare system. Deterministic sensitivity analysis of diagnostic parameters and probabilistic sensitivity analysis predicated on a Monte Carlo simulation with 30,000 reiterations was executed. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) was determined to be $ 100,000/QALY. In the base-case investigation, PET/CT ended up with total costs of $88,003.07 with an efficacy of 4.179, whereas CT ended up with total costs of $88,894.71 with an efficacy of 4.165. SPECT/CT ended up with total costs of $89,973.34 with an efficacy of 4.158. Therefore, the strategies CT and SPECT/CT were dominated by PET/CT in the base-case scenario. In the sensitivity analyses, PET/CT remained a cost-effective strategy. This result was due to reduced therapy costs of timely detection. The additional costs of 68Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT when compared to CT alone are justified in the light of potential savings in therapy costs and better outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Time-consuming SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR suffers from limited sensitivity in early infection stages whereas fast available chest CT can already raise COVID-19 suspicion. Nevertheless, radiologists' performance to differentiate COVID-19, especially from influenza pneumonia, is not sufficiently characterized. (2) Methods: A total of 201 pneumonia CTs were identified and divided into subgroups based on RT-PCR: 78 COVID-19 CTs, 65 influenza CTs and 62 Non-COVID-19-Non-influenza (NCNI) CTs. Three radiology experts (blinded from RT-PCR results) raised pathogen-specific suspicion (separately for COVID-19, influenza, bacterial pneumonia and fungal pneumonia) according to the following reading scores: 0—not typical/1—possible/2—highly suspected. Diagnostic performances were calculated with RT-PCR as a reference standard. Dependencies of radiologists' pathogen suspicion scores were characterized by Pearson's Chi2 Test for Independence. (3) Results: Depending on whether the intermediate reading score 1 was considered as positive or negative, radiologists correctly classified 83–85% (vs. NCNI)/79–82% (vs. influenza) of COVID-19 cases (sensitivity up to 94%). Contrarily, radiologists correctly classified only 52–56% (vs. NCNI)/50–60% (vs. COVID-19) of influenza cases. The COVID-19 scoring was more specific than the influenza scoring compared with suspected bacterial or fungal infection. (4) Conclusions: High-accuracy COVID-19 detection by CT might expedite patient management even during the upcoming influenza season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Comparison of puncture deviation and puncture duration between computed tomography (CT)- and C-arm CT (CACT)-guided puncture performed by residents in training (RiT)., Methods: In a cohort of 25 RiTs enrolled in a research training program either CT- or CACT-guided puncture was performed on a phantom. Prior to the experiments, the RiT's level of training, experience playing a musical instrument, video games, and ball sports, and self-assessed manual skills and spatial skills were recorded. Each RiT performed two punctures. The first puncture was performed with a transaxial or single angulated needle path and the second with a single or double angulated needle path. Puncture deviation and puncture duration were compared between the procedures and were correlated with the self-assessments., Results: RiTs in both the CT guidance and CACT guidance groups did not differ with respect to radiologic experience (p = 1), angiographic experience (p = 0.415), and number of ultrasound-guided puncture procedures (p = 0.483), CT-guided puncture procedures (p = 0.934), and CACT-guided puncture procedures (p = 0.466). The puncture duration was significantly longer with CT guidance (without navigation tool) than with CACT guidance with navigation software (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the puncture duration between the first and second puncture using CT guidance (p = 0.719). However, in the case of CACT, the second puncture was significantly faster (p = 0.006). Puncture deviations were not different between CT-guided and CACT-guided puncture (p = 0.337) and between the first and second puncture of CT-guided and CACT-guided puncture (CT: p = 0.130; CACT: p = 0.391). The self-assessment of manual skills did not correlate with puncture deviation (p = 0.059) and puncture duration (p = 0.158). The self-assessed spatial skills correlated positively with puncture deviation (p = 0.011) but not with puncture duration (p = 0.541)., Conclusion: The RiTs achieved a puncture deviation that was clinically adequate with respect to their level of training and did not differ between CT-guided and CACT-guided puncture. The puncture duration was shorter when using CACT. CACT guidance with navigation software support has a potentially steeper learning curve. Spatial skills might accelerate the learning of image-guided puncture., Key Points: · The CT-guided and CACT-guided puncture experience of the RiTs selected as part of the program "Researchers for the Future" of the German Roentgen Society was adequate with respect to the level of training.. · Despite the lower collective experience of the RiTs with CACT-guided puncture with navigation software assistance, the learning curve regarding CACT-guided puncture may be faster compared to the CT-guided puncture technique.. · If the needle path is complex, CACT guidance with navigation software assistance might have an advantage over CT guidance.., Citation Format: · Meine TC, Hinrichs JB, Werncke T et al. Phantom study for comparison between computed tomography- and C-Arm computed tomography-guided puncture applied by residents in radiology. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2022; 194: 272 - 280., Competing Interests: Lorenz Biggemann: L. B. declares travel grant from Siemens Healthineers and speakers honorarium from Bristol Myer-Squibb unrelated to this project.Jan –Peter Grunz: J.-P. G. declares employment as “Research Consultant” at Siemens Healthineers unrelated to this project.Markus Kopp: M. B. declares participation at the Siemens Healthineers speakers’ bureau unrelated to this project.Simon Lennartz: S. L. declares institutional research support from Philips unrelated to this project.Timo C. Meine: T.C.M. declares passive participation at the BTG TheraSphere™ DACH Summit 2018 unrelated to this to this project.Bernhard C. Meyer: B.C.M. declares relationships with Siemens Healthcare and ProMedicus (outside the submitted work).Frank K. Wacker: F. K. W. declares relationships with Siemens Healthcare and ProMedicus (outside the submitted work).David Zopfs: D. Z. declares institutional research support from Philips Healthcare unrelated to this project., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)