Evaluation of Urine Polymerase Chain Reaction Test Positivity Rates and the Effectiveness of Positron Emission Tomography in Renal Involvement in Patients with Active COVID-19 Infection: A Prospective and Multidisciplinary Study

Abstract

Aim: It is known that the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) does not only affect the respiratory system in the body, but also affects many vital systems. In this study, we aimed to investigate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity rates in urine samples of patients with COVID-19 infection and to evaluate the effectiveness of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in demonstrating renal involvement in patients with urinary system involvement findings. Methods: Patients who had positive COVID-19 PCR test and were hospitalized in Erciyes University pandemic wards due to COVID-19 infection between June 2020 and December 2020 were included in this prospective study. A urine PCR test was applied to all patients. In addition, PET/CT was performed in patients with no known malignancy, clean urine culture, but suspected COVID-19 urinary system involvement. Results: A total of 66 patients with a mean age of 45.4±9.1 years were included in the study. PET/CT was performed at the same time in 6 of these patients with suspected urinary system involvement. Only 1 (1.5%) of 66 patients had a positive urine PCR test. No abnormal genitourinary PET/CT findings were found in any of the patients. Conclusion: Urine PCR positivity is very rare in patients with COVID-19 infection. In addition, according to our results, it can be said that PET/CT is not an effective imaging method to show COVID-19 urinary system involvement.