Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during the COVID-19 pandemic: A southern Italian single-center experience

Purpose We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging studies performed during the lockdown imposed by the Italian Government from March 2020 to May 2020. Materials and method We reviewed the number and the findings of CMR scans performed during the COVID-19 pandemic between March and May 2020 at University of Naples Federico II. The number and the findings of CMR studies acquired in the corresponding months of 2017, 2018 and 2019 were also assessed for direct comparison. Results A total of 117 CMR studies was considered, including the procedures performed during the pandemic (n = 18) and those performed in the corresponding months of the prior 3 years (n = 99). The number of CMR studies performed during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly (P < .01) lower compared to the mean number (n = 33) of the procedures performed in the corresponding months of 2017−2019. The percentage of abnormal CMR studies was similar (P = 0.73) during the pandemic (67 %) compared to that found in the corresponding months of 2017−2019 (70 %) suggesting that many abnormal tests were missed due to the lockdown. Conclusion The number of CMR studies was significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the corresponding period of the previous three years. The lack of difference in the prevalence of abnormal CMR studies between the two study time intervals strongly suggests that many patients with potentially abnormal imaging test have been missed during the pandemic.