Dual-Time-Point 18F-FDG PET/CT in Infective Endocarditis: Impact of Delayed Imaging in the Definitive Diagnosis of Endocarditis

• Published in: Biomedicines Vol. 12; no. 4; p. 861
• Main Authors: Padilla Bermejo, Amanda, Pena Pardo, Francisco José, Noriega-Álvarez, Edel, Amo-Salas, Mariano, Sicilia Pozo, María de Las Nieves, García Vicente, Ana María, Poblete-García, Víctor Manuel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-04-2024
• Subjects: Abscesses; Bone marrow; Computed tomography; Diagnosis; Disease; dual-time-point; Endocarditis; Glucose; Health aspects; Heart; Infective endocarditis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medical imaging; Microorganisms; Morbidity; native valve; Oncology; Patients; PET imaging; PET/CT; Positron emission tomography; Prostheses; prosthetic valve; Public health; Statistical analysis; Tomography; Spain; dual-time-point; native valve; infective endocarditis; PET/CT; prosthetic valve
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040861

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a major public health condition due to the associated high morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to evaluate the utility of dual-time 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging in the diagnosis of active IE in patients with suspected native valve endocarditis (NVE) and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). For this purpose, a retrospective study was carried out, including patients suspicious of NVE or PVE who underwent a dual-time-point 18F-FDG PET/CT. A final diagnosis was established by the Endocarditis Team after patient follow-up using all the available findings. Sixty-nine patients were assessed. A final diagnosis of NVE was established in 3 patients of the 34 by 18F-FDG PET/CT and in the case of PVE was established in 20 patients of the 35. A statistically significant association was found when evaluating the association between PET diagnosis at early acquisition and final diagnosis of IE (χ
= 30.198,
< 0.001) and PET diagnosis at delayed acquisition for final diagnosis of IE (χ
= 9.412,
= 0.002). Delayed PET/CT imaging determined the IE diagnosis in 16/58 of the studies. In conclusion, delayed 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging seems to be useful in improving the definitive diagnosis of IE.