Assessment of body composition by whole-body densitometry: what radiologists should know.

The analysis of body composition is a fundamental part of a nutritional status assessment, and the use of diagnostic imaging methods has been increasingly required for an adequate characterization of the lean body mass and fat mass. Body composition measurements are useful in evaluating the effectiveness of nutritional interventions and monitoring changes associated with aging and chronic diseases. Whole-body densitometry using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is one of the most widely used methods in clinical practice, allowing highly accurate assessment of the bone mineral content, lean body mass, and fat mass.

Tomographic score (RAD-Covid Score) to assess the clinical severity of the novel coronavirus infection.

Objectives: The severity of pulmonary Covid-19 infection can be assessed by the pattern and extent of parenchymal involvement observed in computed tomography (CT), and it is important to standardize the analysis through objective, practical, and reproducible systems. We propose a method for stratifying the radiological severity of pulmonary disease, the Radiological Severity Score (RAD-Covid Score), in Covid-19 patients by quantifying infiltrate in chest CT, including assessment of its accuracy in predicting disease severity.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center study analyzed patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 infection by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, who underwent chest CT at hospital admission between March 6 and April 6, 2020.