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18F–FDG-PET/CT Angiography for the Diagnosis of Infective Endocarditis

  • Nuclear Cardiology (V Dilsizian, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Cardiology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This article reviews the current imaging role of 18F–fluordeoxyglucose positron emission computed tomography (18F–FDG-PET/CT) combined with cardiac CT angiography (CTA) in infective endocarditis and discusses the strengths and limitations of this technique.

Recent Findings

The diagnosis of infective endocarditis affecting prosthetic valves and intracardiac devices is challenging because echocardiography and, therefore, the modified Duke criteria have well-recognized limitations in this clinical scenario. The high sensitivity of 18F–FDG-PET/CT for the detection of infection associated with the accurate definition of structural damage by gated cardiac CTA in a combined technique (PET/CTA) has provided a significant increase in diagnostic sensitivity for the detection of IE.

Summary

PET/CTA has proven to be a useful diagnostic tool in patients with suspected infective endocarditis. The additional information provided by this technique improves diagnostic performance in prosthetic valve endocarditis when it is used in combination with the Duke criteria. The findings obtained in PET/CTA studies have been included as a major criterion in the recently updated diagnostic algorithm in infective endocarditis guidelines.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    A. Roque & H. Cuéllar-Calàbria

  2. Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    M.N. Pizzi

  3. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    S. Aguadé-Bruix

  4. IDI (Institut de Diagnòstic per la Imatge), Barcelona, Spain

    A. Roque & H. Cuéllar-Calàbria

  5. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain

    A. Roque, M.N. Pizzi, H. Cuéllar-Calàbria & S. Aguadé-Bruix

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  1. A. Roque
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Correspondence to A. Roque.

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Albert Roque, María N. Pizzi, Hug Cuéllar-Calàbria, and Santi Aguadé-Bruix declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Nuclear Cardiology

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Roque, A., Pizzi, M., Cuéllar-Calàbria, H. et al. 18F–FDG-PET/CT Angiography for the Diagnosis of Infective Endocarditis. Curr Cardiol Rep 19, 15 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-017-0824-3

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