Radionuclide Imaging of Infective Endocarditis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Infective endocarditis (IE) presents significant morbidity and mortality.
• Accurate diagnosis of IE and cardiovascular device infections is often difficult.
• Multidisciplinary approaches integrating clinical, microbiological, and imaging data are essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the clinical utility of advanced imaging techniques in diagnosing IE.
• To highlight the role of white blood cell SPECT/CT and [18F]FDG-PET/CT in IE.
• To discuss the application of coronary CT angiography (CTA) in cardiovascular device infections.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinical applications of white blood cell SPECT/CT.
• Evaluation of [18F]FDG-PET/CT in infective endocarditis.
• Assessment of coronary CT angiography (CTA) in device-related infections.
• Integration of imaging findings with clinical and microbiological data.

Main Results:

• Echocardiography, molecular imaging, and CTA are vital for detecting valvular infections and device complications.
• Advanced imaging aids in identifying septic emboli and metastatic infections.
• White blood cell SPECT/CT and [18F]FDG-PET/CT show promise in diagnosing IE and device infections.

Conclusions:

• Advanced imaging modalities, including white blood cell SPECT/CT, [18F]FDG-PET/CT, and CTA, are indispensable for diagnosing IE.
• These techniques facilitate early detection of cardiac infections and associated complications.
• Integrating these imaging methods improves patient management and outcomes for IE and device infections.