The World Health Organization (WHO) undertook the development of a rapid guide on the use of chest imaging in the diagnosis and management of COVID-19. The rapid guide was developed over two months...

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to systematically review the evidence on incidental extracardiac findings on cardiac CT with a focus on previously unknown malignancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A systematic search was performed (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane databases) for studies reporting incidental extracardiac findings on cardiac CT. Among 1099 articles initially found, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. The references of those articles were hand-searched and 14 additional studies were identified. After review of the full text, 10 articles were excluded. Nineteen studies including 15,877 patients (64% male) were analyzed. A three-level analysis was performed to determine the prevalence of patients with incidental extracardiac findings, the prevalence of patients with major incidental extracardiac findings, and the prevalence of patients with a proven cancer. Heterogeneity was explored for multiple variables. Pooled prevalence and 95% CI were calculated. RESULTS. The prevalence of both incidenta...

A minority of systematic reviews on imaging published from January 2001 to December 2010 included imaging specialists as authors; inclusion of imaging specialists in the authorship was associated with significantly higher scientific quality, as measured by the number of items on the modified AMSTAR evaluation tool. Purpose To evaluate the inclusion of radiologists or nuclear medicine physicians (imaging specialists) as authors of systematic reviews (SRs) on imaging and imaging-guided diagnostic procedures and to determine the impact of imaging specialists’ presence as authors on the overall quality of the reviews. Materials and Methods A MEDLINE and EMBASE search was performed for SRs of diagnostic and interventional image-guided procedures that were published from January 2001 to December 2010. SRs about procedures primarily performed by nonimaging specialists were excluded. The inclusion of imaging specialists among the SR authors and the frequency of publication in imaging journals were evaluated. The quality of a subset of 200 SRs (100 most recent SRs with imaging specialists as authors and 100 most recent SRs without imaging specialists as authors) was rated by using a 12-item modified assessment of multiple SRs (AMSTAR) evaluation tool. Spearman, χ2, and Mann-Whitney statistics were used. Results From among 32...

This review article addresses the role of lung ultrasound in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for diagnosis and disease management. As a simple imaging procedure, lung ultrasound contributes to the early identification of patients with clinical conditions suggestive of COVID-19, supports decisions about hospital admission and informs therapeutic strategy. It can be performed in various clinical settings (primary care facilities, emergency departments, hospital wards, intensive care units), but also in outpatient settings using portable devices. The article describes typical lung ultrasound findings for COVID-19 pneumonia (interstitial pattern, pleural abnormalities and consolidations), as one component of COVID-19 diagnostic workup that otherwise includes clinical and laboratory evaluation. Advantages and limitations of lung ultrasound use in COVID-19 are described, along with equipment requirements and training needs. To infer on the use of lung ultrasound in different regions, a literature search was performed using key words “COVID-19”, “lung ultrasound” and “imaging”. Lung ultrasound is a noninvasive, rapid and reproducible procedure; can be performed at the point of care; requires simple sterilisation; and involves non-ionising radiation, allowing repeated exams on the same patient, with special benefit in children and pregnant women. However, physical proximity between the patient and the ultrasound operator is a limitation in the current pandemic context, emphasising the need to implement specific infection prevention and control measures. Availability of qualified staff adequately trained to perform lung ultrasound remains a major barrier to lung ultrasound utilisation. Training, advocacy and awareness rising can help build up capacities of local providers to facilitate lung ultrasound use for COVID-19 management, in particular in low- and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVE. Colonic diverticular disease is among the most prevalent conditions in Western society and is a common cause for outpatient visits and hospitalizations. The role of imaging is in evolution, but it has proven useful in confirming clinically suspected disease, assessing severity and complications, and directing patient management. CONCLUSION. This review focuses on the current role of radiologic and endoscopic imaging in distinct clinical scenarios of diverticular disease, with emphasis on diverticulitis and its follow-up.