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Wagner MW, Jadkarim D, Rajani NK, Biswas A, Olatunji R, Law W, Vidarsson L, Amirabadi A, Ertl-Wagner BB. Increased rate of significant findings on brain MRI during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Neuroradiol J 2023; 36:712-715. [PMID: 37515380 PMCID: PMC10649536 DOI: 10.1177/19714009231193161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the proportion of abnormal paediatric neuroimaging findings as a surrogate marker for potential underutilisation. METHODS Consecutive paediatric brain MRIs performed between March 27th and June 19th 2019 (Tbaseline) and March 23rd and June 1st 2020 (Tpandemic) were reviewed and classified according to presence or absence and type of imaging abnormality, and graded regarding severity on a 5-point Likert scale, where grade 4 was defined as abnormal finding requiring non-urgent intervention and grade 5 was defined as acute illness prompting urgent medical intervention. Non-parametric statistical testing was used to assess for significant differences between Tpandemic vs. Tbaseline. RESULTS Fewer paediatric MRI brains were performed during Tpandemic compared to Tbaseline (12.2 vs 14.7 examinations/day). No significant difference was found between the two time periods regarding sex and age (Tbaseline: 557 females (44.63%), 7.95 ± 5.49 years, Tpandemic: 385 females (44.61%), 7.64 ± 6.11 years; p = 1 and p = .079, respectively). MRI brain examinations during Tpandemic had a higher likelihood of being abnormal, 41.25% vs. 25.32% (p<.0001). Vascular abnormalities were more frequent during Tpandemic (11.01% vs 8.01%, p = .02), congenital malformations were less common (8.34% vs 12.34%, p = .004). Severity of MRI brain examinations was significantly different when comparing group 4 and group 5 individually and combined between Tbaseline and Tpandemic (p = .0018, p < .0001, and p <.0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The rate of abnormality and severity found on paediatric brain MRI was significantly higher during the early phase of the pandemic, likely due to underutilisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias W Wagner
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Dalia Jadkarim
- Department of Radiology, Riyadh Saudi Arabia King Faisal Specialty Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nikil K Rajani
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Asthik Biswas
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street, London, UK
| | - Richard Olatunji
- Department of Radiology, University College Hospital, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Wyanne Law
- Department of Radiology, Division of Abdominal Imaging, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Logi Vidarsson
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Afsaneh Amirabadi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Birgit B Ertl-Wagner
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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