Evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy from long-term radiological findings in COVID-19

Objective: Mediastinal lymphadenopathy (MLAP) has been reported in post-COVID-19 patients.In this study, the relationship between post-COVID-19 infection and MLAP was investigated in patients who had been diagnosed with MLAP and decided to undergo surgery.Methods: The study included the records of 140 patients who had been diagnosed with MLAP and were decided for surgical treatment.Demographic findings, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results, chest X-ray, thorax computed tomography (CT) findings, positron emission tomography (PET)-CT findings, and histopathological results were recorded.Results: SUV max value above 2.5 was 15 times more common in patients with positive PCR test results than in patients with negative results.Abnormal chest X-ray results were associated with a 9.3-fold increase in the number of patients, and the number of patients with abnormal pathology results was 33.9 times higher than those with normal results.Conclusions: Post-COVID-19 and MLAP (SUV max 3-5) were shown to be associated independently of age, gender, comorbidities, and disease outcomes.MLAP lesions in patients with COVID-19 demonstrated SUVmax values that were 10-fold higher compared to patients without COVID-19.Determining reliable SUV max values in patients with severe COVID-19 may help guide clinical decisions, tailor therapeutic approaches, and avoid unnecessary surgical indications.