REVIEW  FDG PET/CT FOR INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION: A PRACTICAL APPROACH 

The Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2025 March;69(1):48-60

DOI: 10.23736/S1824-4785.25.03616-7

Copyright © 2025 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

[18F]FDG PET/CT in cardiovascular infections: a practical approach

Hanan ZAHED ^{1, 2} ✉, Matthieu PELLETIER-GALARNEAU ³, Gad ABIKHZER ^{1, 4}

¹ Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; ² Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; ³ Department of Medical Imaging, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada; ⁴ Department of Medical Imaging, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada

Cardiovascular infections have a high mortality rate requiring prompt diagnosis and timely management. [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([¹⁸F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has emerged as a valuable diagnostic imaging modality for various cardiovascular infections, including infective endocarditis (IE) and cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections, particularly when the diagnosis remains challenging. In this article, we provide an overview of the epidemiology and clinical presentation of IE and CIED-related infections, the indications for ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT and its incremental role in establishing diagnosis as well as illustrate a variety of clinical cases and discuss interpretation criteria.

KEY WORDS: Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Positron emission tomography computed tomography; Heart valve prosthesis; Endocarditis