COVID-19: Incidental Diagnosis by 18F-FDG PET/CT

Area of Science:

• Nuclear medicine
• Infectious disease imaging
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are at higher risk for severe COVID-19.
• Metastatic disease evaluation often involves F-FDG PET/CT scans.
• Back pain can be a presenting symptom for various conditions, including malignancy and infection.

Observation:

• A 73-year-old male patient with COPD presented with back pain.
• MR imaging revealed lumbar spine compression fractures.
• F-FDG PET/CT was performed to rule out skeletal metastases and primary neoplasm.

Findings:

• The F-FDG PET/CT scan identified diffuse, metabolically active pulmonary opacities.
• These findings showed a predilection for the upper lobes.
• The imaging characteristics were highly suggestive of COVID-19 infection.

Implications:

• F-FDG PET/CT can reveal unexpected findings suggestive of infectious processes like COVID-19.
• This case highlights the importance of considering incidental findings in imaging.
• Early diagnosis of COVID-19 is crucial for patient management and public health.