The Role of Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor Positron Emission Tomography in Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases: An Updated Systematic Review.

The role of fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is emerging for the assessment of non-oncological diseases, such as inflammatory and infectious diseases, even if the evidence in the literature is still in its initial phases. We conducted a systematic search of Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane library databases for studies published before 31 December 2023 reporting infectious and inflammatory disease imaging with FAPI PET/CT. We included twenty-one studies for a total of 1046 patients.

Metabolic characterization of structural lung changes in patients with findings suggestive of incidental COVID-19 pneumonia on F-FDG PET/CT. Pathophysiological insights from multimodal images obtained during the pandemic.

Purpose: To evaluate the metabolic uptake of different tomographic signs observed in patients with incidental structural findings suggestive of COVID-19 pneumonia through F-FDG PET/CT.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 596 PET/CT studies performed from February 21, 2020 to April 17, 2020. After excluding 37 scans (non-F-FDG PET tracers and brain studies), we analyzed the metabolic activity of several structural changes integrated in the CO-RADS score using the SUVmax of multimodal studies with F-FDG.

Incidental Findings Suggestive of COVID-19 Pneumonia in Oncologic Patients Undergoing F-FDG PET/CT Studies: Association Between Metabolic and Structural Lung Changes.

Although the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can present as nonspecific clinical forms, subclinical cases represent an important route of transmission and a significant source of mortality, mainly in high-risk subpopulations such as cancer patients. A deeper knowledge of the metabolic shift in cells infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 could provide new insights about its pathogenic and host response and help to diagnose pulmonary involvement. We explored the potential added diagnostic value of F-FDG PET/CT scans in asymptomatic cancer patients with suspected COVID-19 pneumonia by investigating the association between metabolic and structural changes in the lung parenchyma.