Effect of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake of Endocrine Organs

Abstract

Objective: The new type of Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) damages cells by using the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) as a receptor to adhere and go through the cell membrane. It is known that some of the endocrine organs express ACE2 and these organs are potential targets for Coronavirus 2019 disease (Covid-19). This study aimed to investigate the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake of endocrine system organs. Methods: Sixteen patients who had Covid-19 underwent 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) later, 77 patients who did not have Covid-19 underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT between March 2020-October 2021 were analyzed finally. SUVmax and SUVmean of the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal gland, pancreas, and testis measured from the PET/CT of the patients had Covid-19 were compared with SUVmax, and SUVmean measured from the same organs in PET/CT images of the patients who had not Covid-19. Results: Pancreatic mean SUVmax was significantly higher in patients who had Covid-19 than in patients who did not (p= 0.035). Pancreatic mean SUVmean was slightly higher in patients who had Covid-19 than in patients who did not, but this difference was not statistically significant (p= 0.072). No significant difference was found between the SUVmax and SUVmean values of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, and testis in patients who had Covid-19 and did not have. Conclusions: It was thought that the pancreas might have been affected in the course of Covid-19 due to the higher mean SUVmean values of the pancreas in patients who had Covid- 19.