Imaging in the COVID-19 era: Lessons learned during a pandemic

The first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a year of unprecedented changes, scientific breakthroughs, and controversies. The radiology community has not been spared from the challenges imposed on global healthcare systems. Radiology has played a crucial part in tackling this pandemic, either by demonstrating the manifestations of the virus and guiding patient management, or by safely handling the patients and mitigating transmission within the hospital. Major modifications involving all aspects of daily radiology practice have occurred as a result of the pandemic, including workflow alterations, volume reductions, and strict infection control strategies. Despite the ongoing challenges, considerable knowledge has been gained that will guide future innovations. The aim of this review is to provide the latest evidence on the role of imaging in the diagnosis of the multifaceted manifestations of COVID-19, and to discuss the implications of the pandemic on radiology departments globally, including infection control strategies and delays in cancer screening. Lastly, the promising contribution of artificial intelligence in the COVID-19 pandemic is explored. Keywords: Artificial intelligence; COVID-19; Computed tomography; Diagnostic imaging; Infectious diseases; Radiography

High-Yield Imaging Review of Pulmonary Infections

Imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis of pulmonary infections with the chest radiograph as the initial study of choice. Computed tomography can further delineate the extent of disease and present key imaging signs that, along with clinical history and laboratory data, can properly guide the differential diagnosis. In this article, we review and illustrate the most relevant computed tomography imaging manifestations of common and less common pulmonary infections, including a section devoted to pulmonary infections in immunosuppressed patients

Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease: A Clinical and Radiologic Update

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is increasingly recognized in the U.S. and worldwide as a debilitating disease that is challenging to diagnose and manage. Beyond the principle task of recognizing the protean imaging manifestations of NTM-PD, radiologists will need to appropriately communicate with pulmonology and infectious disease colleagues in multidisciplinary management discussions. This update on nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species, their clinical significance, and imaging features aims to support these roles. Terminology mirrors that laid out by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) published guidelines on NTM-PD

The effect of a training webinar on decreasing inter-observer variability in making a radiologic diagnosis of bronchiectasis

Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis is a clinically important disease with an estimated 340,000-522,000 persons living with the disease and 70,000 being diagnosed annually. The radiographic diagnosis remains a pivotal part of recognizing the disease due to its protean clinical manifestations. As physicians are sensitized to this disease, a greater proportion of patients are being diagnosed with mild to moderate bronchiectasis. Despite the established use of CT chest as the main tool for making a radiologic diagnosis of bronchiectasis, the literature supporting the process of making that diagnosis is somewhat sparse. Concurrently, there has been an increased trend to have Web-based radiologic tutorials due to its convenience, the ability of the learner to set the pace of learning and the reduced cost compared to in-person learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend. We wanted to look carefully at the effect of a Web-based training session on interrater reliability. Agreement was calculated as percentages and kappa and prevalence adjusted kappa calculated. We found that a single Web-based training session had little effect on the variability and accuracy of diagnosis of bronchiectasis. Larger studies are needed in this area with multiple training sessions. Keywords: Bronchiectasis; CT chest; Interpretation; Interrater reliability; Web-based training