F-18 FDG PET/CT as a One-Stop Shop Imaging Modality for Assessment of Neurologic and Pulmonary Manifestations of COVID-19.

Abstract

Neurologic manifestations are now being increasingly encountered in patients who are admitted for respiratory symptoms of COVID-19. A 67-year-old male with a recent history of Wernicke's aphasia was referred to the nuclear medicine department for risk stratification of malignancy in pulmonary nodule by 18F-FDG PET-CT scan. PET-CT revealed decreased metabolic activity in the left temporoparietal lobe of the brain consistent with recent CVA and excluded malignancy in the pulmonary nodule with low-grade metabolic activity. Incidentally noted, new bilateral pulmonary hypermetabolic ground glass opacities rising suspicious for covid-19 infection which was confirmed by PCR of nasopharyngeal mucosa sample. These findings highlight the value of 18FFDG PET-CT in the assessment of COVID-19 infection especially in non-pulmonary presentations like early neurologic manifestation.