The value of fluorine-18 deoxyglucose positron emission tomography scans in patients with ventricular assist device specific infections†.
BACKGROUND
Infections are major complications in patients with ventricular assist devices (VAD). Positron emission tomography with deoxyglucose marked by fluorine-18 ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) is a diagnostic tool to scan for tissue with high metabolism as present in infections. The specificity of 18 F-FDG PET/CT to discriminate between infection and an aseptic reaction of the implanted device is not defined and its evaluation is the aim of this retrospective analysis.


METHODS
Until September 2015 a total of 100 patients underwent VAD implantations in our institution. Twenty-one patients (mean age 53.7 ± 14.3 years) had 29 PET-CT examinations for a suspected infection. All radiology reports were compared to clinical and intraoperative parameters. Infections were reported according to the guidelines of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Follow-up was 222 days (range 107-484 days) after PET-CT scans and was complete in all patients.


RESULTS
In 7 patients PET-CT scan ruled out any VAD associated infection. Sixteen patients had a VAD specific infection. Two patients had false negative PET-CT scan results. The sensitivity of VAD-specific infections was 87.5%, the specificity 100%, the positive predictive value was 100% and the negative predictive value 86.7%. Seven patients had more than one PET-CT scans at different time points.


CONCLUSIONS
PET-CT scan findings showed a high specificity and positive predictive value for VAD-specific infections. Therefore, it may have the potential to guide the clinician in handling patients with infectious complications after VAD implantation.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Alexander M
AM
Bernhardt
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Mustafa A
MA
Pamirsad
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Chantal
C
Brand
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Daniel
D
Reichart
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Milena
M
Tienken
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Markus J
MJ
Barten
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Andreas
A
Schaefer
Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Hanno
H
Grahn
Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Meike
M
Rybczynski
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.|Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Tobias
T
Deuse
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Hermann
H
Reichenspurner
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Florian M
FM
Wagner
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Computed tomography; Diagnostic ; Infection ; Ventricular assist device 