Cardiovascular Imaging in COVID-19

Keywords
Cardiovascular Diseases; Lung Diseases; Coronavirus; COVID-19; Pandemics; Diagnostic Imaging; Asymptomatic Patients

Dear Editor,

We would like to share ideas on the publication “Cardiovascular Imaging in Patients with COVID-19.”¹ Grossman and Lima concluded that “nuclear cardiologists and nuclear medicine physicians must be aware of incidental findings in asymptomatic patients with COVID-19, and they should optimize MPI protocols, when the procedure is necessary.”¹ The results in this study are concordant with a previous report from Asia.² Imaging can help identify both heart and lung problems that might asymptomatically occur due to COVID-19 or a previous silent pathology.² An important point is the differential diagnosis of the new lesion and the previous underlying pathology. In tropical countries, there might be a common pathology, such as tuberculosis, that results in difficulty in interpreting new heart and lung problems due to COVID-19.³ Since image interpretation depends mainly on the radiologist, it is necessary for radiologists to increase awareness and concern when interpreting clinical images during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Referências

• ¹
  Grossman GB, Lima RL. Cardiovascular Imaging in Patients with COVID-19. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020 Nov;115(5):973-4.
• ²
  Attavirayanuparuktham B. Abnormal heart imaging in COVID-19 patients: a note. Adv Lab Med Int. 2020;10:18-9.
• ³
  Yasri S, Wiwanitkit V. Tuberculosis and novel Wuhan coronavirus infection: Pathological interrelationship. Indian J Tuberc. 2020 Apr;67(2):264.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  06 Sept 2021
• Date of issue
  Aug 2021

History

• Received
  22 Dec 2020
• Reviewed
  10 Feb 2021
• Accepted
  10 Feb 2021