Incidentally Detected PET-CT Imaging Findings Of COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study During Local Pandemic Era

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Commonly, a CT chest scan is performed to detect any early findings of COVID-19 pneumonia before the onset of clinical symptoms. In this article, the authors reported COVID-19 pneumonia in patients undergoing positron emission tomography with 2-deoxy-2-(fluorine-18) fluoro-D-glucose integrated with CT (18F-FDG PET/CT) examinations for early isolation and necessary management. Methods: One hundred and twelve patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging for routine oncological examination were considered for the study, and these subject scans were taken during a period of December 2020–August 2021. Following which, reverse transcription-PCR testing was requested for confirmation. Results: Amongst the 112 patients, 45 (40%) patients showed features of COVID-19 pneumonia on PET/CT imaging. Reverse transcription-PCR testing carried out for these patients confirmed the infection in 38 individuals (84%). Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET/CT is sensitive for early detection of COVID-19 pneumonia, so as to minimise further spread of infection and apply adequate measures for prevention.