COVID-19 Vaccination, Implications for PET/CT Image Interpretation and Future Perspectives

Overview

Journal Clin Transl Imaging

Publisher Springer

Date 2022 Aug 22

PMID 35992042

Authors

Margarita Kirienko

Matteo Biroli

Cristiano Pini

Fabrizia Gelardi

Martina Sollini

Arturo Chiti

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: The present paper aims to systematically review the literature on COVID-19 vaccine-related findings in patients undergoing PET/CT.

Methods: The search algorithms included the following combination of terms: "PET" OR "positron emission tomography" AND "COVID"; "PET" OR "positron emission tomography" AND "COVID" AND "vaccination"; "PET" OR "positron emission tomography" AND "COVID", AND "autoimmune".

Results: We selected 17 articles which were assessed for quality and included in the systematic analysis. The most frequent vaccine-related signs on PET/CT were the deltoid [F]FDG uptake and axillary hypermetabolic lymph nodes, which were described in 8-71% and 7-90% of the patients, respectively. Similarly, frequency of these findings using other tracers than [F]FDG was greatly variable. This large variability was related to the variability in time elapsed between vaccination and PET/CT, and the criteria used to define positivity. In addition, vaccine-related findings were detected more frequently in young and immunocompetent patients than in elderly and immunocompromised ones.

Discussion: Therefore, awareness on vaccination status (timing, patient characteristics, and concurrent therapies) and knowledge on patterns of radiopharmaceutical uptake are necessary to properly interpret PET/CT findings.

Citing Articles

Challenging Axillary Lymph Nodes on PET/CT in Cancer Patients throughout COVID-19 Vaccination Era.

Giordano A, Gallicchio R, Milella M, Storto R, Nardelli A, Pellegrino T Curr Pharm Des. 2024; 30(10):798-806.

PMID: 38454762 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128246329231016091519.

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