Signs of tracheobronchitis may constitute the principal finding on the lung SPECT/CT images of COVID-19 patients

• Published in: European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging Vol. 48; no. 8; pp. 2525 - 2530
• Main Authors: Bahloul, Achraf, Verger, Antoine, Mandry, Damien, Jeulin, Hélène, Goehringer, François, Karcher, Gilles, Imbert, Laetitia, Marie, Pierre-Yves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-07-2021; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag (Germany) [1976-....]
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Albumins; Bioengineering; Cardiology; Computed tomography; Computer Science; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Embolism; Human health and pathology; Humans; Imaging; Infection and inflammation; Life Sciences; Lung; Lungs; Medical Imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nuclear Medicine; Oncology; Orthopedics; Perfusion; Radiology; SARS-CoV-2; Scintigraphy; Short Communication; Single photon emission computed tomography; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Tracheobronchitis; Ventilation; COVID-19; CT; Lung scintigraphy; Dyspnea; CZT-SPECT; Tracheobronchitis
• ISSN: 1619-7070; 1619-7089
• DOI: 10.1007/s00259-020-05139-5

Background
This study aimed to analyze the rates of tracheobronchitis signs observed on the ventilation scans of COVID-19 patients with shortness of breath, with comparisons to a non-COVID population.
Methods
Lung scintigraphy was collected in 10 such COVID patients, as well as from a non-COVID population investigated outside the epidemic wave period, on a CZT-SPECT/CT system, with ventilation images recorded with
99m
Tc-labeled Technegas® and perfusion images with
99m
Tc-labeled albumin macroaggregates.
Results
A diffuse tracheobronchial uptake was observed on the ventilation scans from 3 COVID patients (30%), whereas this rate was 3% (3/90) in the non-COVID group (
P
 = 0.013). These 3 patients had no laryngeal extension of Technegas® uptake and limited parenchymal lung abnormalities. Follow-up scintigraphy demonstrated the withdrawal of tracheobronchitis signs in two cases, and the advent of a severe pulmonary embolism in one.
Conclusion
Signs of tracheobronchitis may constitute the principal finding on lung SPECT/CT images of COVID-19 patients with shortness of breath.