BOSTON – Lymph nodes in the area of the armpit can become swollen after the COVID-19 vaccine, and this is a normal reaction that usually goes away with time. Radiologists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) recently published a method for managing this condition in women who receive mammograms for breast cancer screening in the American Journal of Roentgenology has now expanded their proposals to include care for patients undergoing other imaging tests for various medical purposes. Their guidance is published in the Journal of the American College of Radiation.
“Our practical management plan extends the impact of our recommendations to the full spectrum of patients receiving postoperative imaging tests,” said lead author Constance Lehman, MD, PhD, head of Breast Imaging, co-director of the Avon Comprehensive Breast Assessment Center at MGH, and a professor at Harvard Medical School.
Lehman and her colleagues – from multiple subspecies in radiology – note that as COVID-19 vaccine programs ramp up, radiologists should expect that more and more patients showing swollen lymph nodes will see on imaging tests. They recommend that imaging centers record COVID-19 vaccine information – including the date (s) of vaccination, the location of the injection site, and the type of vaccine – on its all patient form and ensure that this information is readily available to radiologists at the time the image is defined.
In most cases, additional imaging tests are not required for swollen lymph nodes after recent vaccinations if the inflammation does not persist or if the patient has other health issues. Additional tests may be needed in cases where there was a greater concern for cancer of the lymph nodes before the imaging test was performed. “In patients with a recent cancer diagnosis, the full patient care team and the radiologist can work together to determine how best to manage nodes that appear abnormal on images after recent vaccinations. That way, they can design care for the individual patient, “said Leslie Lamb, MD, a breast imaging specialist at MGH and co – author of the study.
Radiologist communication with clinicians and patients should emphasize avoiding delays in either recommended vaccinations or imaging tests to ensure optimal care throughout the disease. -discharged. “Advanced design can help our patients feel confident and safe to receive their vaccines as well as receive recommended images in their routine care,” says Lehman.
The team’s management recommendations will continue to be updated as more data becomes available to guide good practice.
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About Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital in Harvard Medical School. Mass General Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the country, with an annual research work of more than $ 1 billion and includes more than 9,500 researchers working across more than 1 million researchers. on 30 institutions, centers and departments. In August 2020, Mass General was named # 6 in the US News and World Report list of “the best hospitals in America.”
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