ABSTRACT
Due to untypical clinical manifestations, difficulty of diagnosis and treatment, and poor prognosis, the early and accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular infection is very important. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/ CT has been widely applied in the diagnosis of infection. This article reviews the role of 18F-FDG PET/ CT in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular infection, such as infectious endocarditis, cardiac implantable electronic device infection, and vascular prosthetic graft infection.
ABSTRACT
Aortic stent infection is a rare problem, but severe sequelae such as stent occlusion, aortic necrosis and rupture, and life-threatening sepsis can occur. Surgical removal and antibiotic therapy has been the mainstay of treatment, but the management of stent infection still remains controversial as to the time of removal operation or the prognosis regarding the use of antibiotics alone as the treatment modality. Recently, we experienced a case of delayed aortic stent infection that was treated with antibiotics alone. A 68-year-old man presented with unexplained fever of several days' duration. The patient had a history of having had an aortic stent inserted 8 years ago due to traumatic aortic rupture. Blood culture was positive for Staphylococcus aureus and positron emission tomography revealed focal intense nodular uptake at medial and inferior aspect of the aortic arch. He was therefore diagnosed with aortic stent infection due to Staphylococcus aureus and was successfully treated with name of antibiotics alone without recourse to surgery.