[18F]FDG PET/CT in Short-Term Complications of COVID-19: Metabolic Markers of Persistent Inflammation and Impaired Respiratory Function Triviño Ibáñez, Eva María Jiménez Rodríguez, Beatriz María Rudolphi Solero, Teodoro García Rivero, Encarnación Yolanda Rodríguez Fernández, Antonio Llamas Elvira, José Manuel Gómez Río, Manuel Morales García, Concepción COVID-19 [18F]FDG-PET/CT Respiratory function test Inflammatory Complications SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-2 virus infects organs other than the lung, such as mediastinal lymph nodes, spleen, and liver, but, to date, metabolic imaging studies obtained in short-term follow-ups of patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 infection are rare. Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness of [18F]FDG-PET/CT in the short-term follow-up of patients admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia and to explore the association of the findings with clinical prognostic markers. The prospective study included 20 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (November 2020–March 2021). Clinical and laboratory test findings were gathered at admission, 48–72 h post-admission, and 2–3 months post-discharge, when [18F]FDG-PET/CT and respiratory function tests were performed. Lung volumes, spirometry, lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and respiratory muscle strength were measured. Volumetric [18F]FDG-PET/CT results were correlated with laboratory and respiratory parameters. Eleven [18F]FDG-PET/CT (55%) were positive, with hypermetabolic mediastinal lymphadenopathy in 90.9%. Mediastinal lesion’s SUVpeak was correlated with white cells’ count. Eleven (55%) patients had impaired respiratory function, including reduced DLCO (35%). SUVpeak was correlated with %predicted-DLCO. TLG was negatively correlated with %predicted- DLCO and TLC. In the short-term follow-up of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia, [18F]FDG-PET/CT findings revealed significant detectable inflammation in lungs and mediastinal lymph nodes that correlated with pulmonary function impairment in more than half of the patients. 2022-05-09T11:37:35Z 2022-05-09T11:37:35Z 2022-03-29 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Triviño-Ibáñez, E.M... [et al.]. [18F]FDG PET/CT in Short-Term Complications of COVID-19: Metabolic Markers of Persistent Inflammation and Impaired Respiratory Function. Diagnostics 2022, 12, 835. [https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12040835] http://hdl.handle.net/10481/74755 10.3390/diagnostics12040835 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Atribución 3.0 España MDPI