Detection of aortic graft infection by 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography.
Functional in vivo molecular imaging is provided with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), which can detect cells with high glucose turnover. FDG-PET is an established imaging tool in oncology but has also been used in infectious and inflammatory diseases. PET combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) shows the metabolic activity with precise anatomic localization. More than 2000 scanners have now been installed worldwide, and with better availability, this hybrid method has the potential to become an important imaging tool in the management of suspected aortic graft infections, especially in patients with low-grade graft infection. We report a patient with a suspected aortic graft infection that was confirmed and anatomically localized by FDG-PET/CT. An extra-anatomic bypass and extirpation of the aortic graft was performed. The perioperative location of the graft infection coincided exactly with the place of FDG uptake shown on PET/CT. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery and did well during 6 months of follow-up.
Tegler
Gustaf
G
Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Vascular Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Sörensen
Jens
J
Björck
Martin
M
Savitcheva
Irina
I
Wanhainen
Anders
A
D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D020878:Device Removal; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000601:surgery; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18