Key result
Nuclear imaging techniques such as 18F-FDG-PET/CT and WBC-SPECT offer incremental value in diagnosing infective endocarditis, particularly for prosthetic valves and cardiac implanted electronic devices.
Why the study?
Infective endocarditis remains life-threatening with increasing prosthetic valve and cardiac implanted electronic device involvement, highlighting the need to clarify the role of emerging nuclear imaging techniques.
What is the role and diagnostic performance of nuclear imaging techniques (18F-FDG-PET/CT and WBC-SPECT) in patients with suspected infective endocarditis?
What is the role and diagnostic performance of nuclear imaging techniques (18F-FDG-PET/CT and WBC-SPECT) in patients with suspected infective endocarditis?
Nuclear imaging techniques like 18F-FDG-PET/CT and WBC-SPECT offer incremental diagnostic value over echocardiography for infective endocarditis, particularly in patients with prosthetic valves or CIEDs.
Rising CIED-related IE incidence highlights diagnostic gaps; leaves open optimized strategies for this growing population.
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening disease with stable prevalence despite prophylactic, diagnostic, and therapeutic advances. In parallel to the growing number of cardiac devices implanted, the number of patients developing IE on prosthetic valves and cardiac implanted electronic device (CIED) is increasing at a rapid pace. The diagnosis of IE is particularly challenging, and currently relies on the Duke-Li modified classification, which include clinical, microbiological, and imaging criteria. While echocardiography remains the first line imaging technique, especially in native valve endocarditis, the incremental value of two nuclear imaging techniques, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) and white blood cells single photon emission tomography with computed tomography (WBC-SPECT), has emerged for the management of prosthetic valve and CIED IE. In this review, we will summarize the procedures for image acquisition, discuss the role of 18F-FDG-PET/CT and WBC-SPECT imaging in different clinical situations of IE, and review the respective diagnostic performance of these nuclear imaging techniques and their integration into the diagnostic algorithm for patients with a suspicion of IE.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Mikaïl et al. (2021) conducted a review in Infective endocarditis. Nuclear imaging (18F-FDG-PET/CT and WBC-SPECT) was evaluated. Nuclear imaging techniques such as 18F-FDG-PET/CT and WBC-SPECT offer incremental value in diagnosing infective endocarditis, particularly for prosthetic valves and cardiac implanted electronic devices.
Synapse has enriched 4 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: