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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is transmitted from person to person, mainly by respiratory droplets and surface contact, with high incidence, high concealment, and rapid transmission (1). Patients may become a source of infection not only when they are symptomatic but also during the incubation or the recovery period (2). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pneumonia that is caused by SARS-CoV-2, has therefore become a serious worldwide public health threat. Accurate and timely diagnosis of the disease is critical for effective treatment, better survival, and control of disease spread. Currently, COVID-19 pneumonia is diagnosed by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. However, the high false-negative rate for the PURPOSE The widespread use of computed tomography (CT) in COVID-19 may cause adverse biological effects. Many recommend to minimize radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic quality. This study was designed to evaluate the difference between findings of COVID-19 pneumonia on standard and low-dose protocols to provide data on the utility of the latter during initial imaging of COVID-19. METHODSPatients suspected of having COVID-19 were scanned with a 128-slices scanner using two consecutive protocols in the same session (standard-dose scan: 120 kV and 300 mA; low-dose scan: 80 kV and 40 mA). Dose data acquisition and analysis was performed using an automated software. High and low-dose examinations were anonymized, shuffled and read by two radiologist with consensus according to a highly structured reporting format that was primarily based on the consensus statement of the RSNA. Accordingly, 8 typical, 2 indeterminate, and 7 atypical findings were investigated. Cases were then assigned to one of the categories:McNemar test was used to analyze the number of disagreements between standard and low-dose scans regarding paired proportions of structured findings. Intertest reliability was tested using kappa coefficient. RESULTSThe study included 740 patients with a mean age of 44.05±16.59 years. The median (minimummaximum) dose level for standard protocol was 189.98 mGy•cm (98.20-493.54 mGy•cm) and for low-dose protocol was 15.59 mGy•cm (11.59-32.37 mGy•cm) differing by -80 and -254 mGy•cm from pan-European diagnostic reference levels. Only two findings for typical, one finding for indeterminate, and three findings for atypical categories were statistically similar (p > 0.05). The difference in other categories resulted in significantly different final diagnosis for COVID-19 (p < 0.001). Overall, 626 patients received matching diagnoses with the two protocols. According to intertest reliability analysis, kappa value was found to be 0.669 (p < 0.001) to indicate substantial match. CT with standard-dose had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 72%, while CT with low-dose had a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 81%. CONCLUSIONLow kV and mA scans, as used in this study according to scanner manufacturer's global recommendations, may signifi...

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Purpose We have investigated the technical and clinical success of percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) in retroperitoneal abscesses and factors that may affect the outcome. Material and methods The study cohort included 45 patients (17 females and 29 males, with mean age of 56.3 years) that were treated between 2012 and 2020. Forty-seven abscesses were managed with PCD under ultrasonography, computed tomography, or fluoroscopy guidance. Patients’ demographics, lesion locations, predisposing factors, clini-cal presentation, etiology, radiological findings, technical factors, and outcome parameters were presented using exploratory and descriptive statistics. Results Abscesses were located in the psoas ( n = 25, 55.3%), renal-perirenal ( n = 7, 14.8%), and pararenal ( n = 14, 29.7%) compartments. The mean preprocedural volume was 263.3 (30-1310) ml. Pain (abdominal and back) (57.4%) and fever (17%) were the most frequent presenting symptoms. The most common predisposing factors were previous surgery ( n = 17, 36.1%) and diabetes mellitus ( n = 11, 25.5%). Clinical success was attained in 89.3% of abscesses (definitive treatment 72.3% and partial success 17.0%). There was a statistically significant difference between the iatrogenic and non-iatrogenic groups regarding clinical success ( p = 0.031). No mortality was encountered. The complication rate was 6.6% and were all minor. The average rate of recurrence was 10.6%. The mean time to catheter removal was 15.8 ± 13.2 days. Conclusions PCD is a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of retroperitoneal abscesses. Procedure-related mortality, morbidity, and complication rates are low. Underlying etiology is a significant factor affecting the outcome. Nevertheless, PCD may provide definitive treatment in the majority of patients.