tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Neurointerv Surg
. 2020 May 19;neurintsurg-2020-016188.
doi: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2020-016188. Online ahead of print.
Incidental COVID-19 Related Lung Apical Findings on Stroke CTA During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Shingo Kihira[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Javin Schefflein[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Michael Chung[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Keon Mahmoudi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Brian Rigney[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bradley N Delman[SUP] 2 [/SUP], J Mocco[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Amish Doshi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Puneet Belani[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Authors have noticed an increase in lung apex abnormalities on CT angiography (CTA) of the head and neck performed for stroke workup during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Objective: To evaluate the incidence of these CTA findings and their relation to COVID-19 infection.
Methods: In this retrospective multicenter institutional review board-approved study, assessment was made of CTA findings of code patients who had a stroke between March 16 and April 5, 2020 at six hospitals across New York City. Demographic data, comorbidities, COVID-19 status, and neurological findings were collected. Assessment of COVID-19 related lung findings on CTA was made blinded to COVID-19 status. Incidence rates of COVID-19 related apical findings were assessed in all code patients who had a stroke and in patients with a stroke confirmed by imaging.
Results: The cohort consisted of a total of 118 patients with mean?SD age of 64.9?15.7 years and 57.6% (68/118) were male. Among all code patients who had a stroke, 28% (33/118) had COVID-19 related lung findings. RT-PCR was positive for COVID-19 in 93.9% (31/33) of these patients with apical CTA findings.Among patients who had a stroke confirmed by imaging, 37.5% (18/48) had COVID-19 related apical findings. RT-PCR was positive for COVID-19 in all (18/18) of these patients with apical findings.
Conclusion: The incidence of COVID-19 related lung findings in stroke CTA scans was 28% in all code patients who had a stroke and 37.5% in patients with a stroke confirmed by imaging. Stroke teams should closely assess the lung apices during this COVID-19 pandemic as CTA findings may be the first indicator of COVID-19 infection.
Keywords: CT angiography; infection; stroke.
. 2020 May 19;neurintsurg-2020-016188.
doi: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2020-016188. Online ahead of print.
Incidental COVID-19 Related Lung Apical Findings on Stroke CTA During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Shingo Kihira[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Javin Schefflein[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Michael Chung[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Keon Mahmoudi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Brian Rigney[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bradley N Delman[SUP] 2 [/SUP], J Mocco[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Amish Doshi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Puneet Belani[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32430481
- DOI: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2020-016188
Abstract
Background: Authors have noticed an increase in lung apex abnormalities on CT angiography (CTA) of the head and neck performed for stroke workup during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Objective: To evaluate the incidence of these CTA findings and their relation to COVID-19 infection.
Methods: In this retrospective multicenter institutional review board-approved study, assessment was made of CTA findings of code patients who had a stroke between March 16 and April 5, 2020 at six hospitals across New York City. Demographic data, comorbidities, COVID-19 status, and neurological findings were collected. Assessment of COVID-19 related lung findings on CTA was made blinded to COVID-19 status. Incidence rates of COVID-19 related apical findings were assessed in all code patients who had a stroke and in patients with a stroke confirmed by imaging.
Results: The cohort consisted of a total of 118 patients with mean?SD age of 64.9?15.7 years and 57.6% (68/118) were male. Among all code patients who had a stroke, 28% (33/118) had COVID-19 related lung findings. RT-PCR was positive for COVID-19 in 93.9% (31/33) of these patients with apical CTA findings.Among patients who had a stroke confirmed by imaging, 37.5% (18/48) had COVID-19 related apical findings. RT-PCR was positive for COVID-19 in all (18/18) of these patients with apical findings.
Conclusion: The incidence of COVID-19 related lung findings in stroke CTA scans was 28% in all code patients who had a stroke and 37.5% in patients with a stroke confirmed by imaging. Stroke teams should closely assess the lung apices during this COVID-19 pandemic as CTA findings may be the first indicator of COVID-19 infection.
Keywords: CT angiography; infection; stroke.