![Quantification of Atherosclerotic Plaque Activity and Vascular Inflammation using [18-F] Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography FDG-PET/CT](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F3777.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
Usefulness of 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Establishing the Optimal
Katsuhiro Yamanaka1, Kenji Okada1, Daiki Kato1
1Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Kobe, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
Objectives:
This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for prosthetic aortic graft infection (PAGI) detection and describe its outcomes.
Methods:
This retrospective study had 2 groups: the N-PAGI group (patients without PAGI who underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT for detailed cancer screening) and the PAGI group (patients with PAGI). The PAGI group had 2 subgroups: the PET group (PAGI patients who underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT), and the non-PET group (PAGI patients who did not undergo 18F-FDG-PET/CT). We compared the semi-quantitative analyses between the PET group and the N-PAGI group. The zones of aorta were labelled into 13 zones. Outcomes were compared between the PET group and the non-PET group.
Results:
In total, 46, 19, and 24 patients were enrolled in the N-PAGI group, PET group, and non-PET group, respectively, between January 2008 and December2023. The PAGI group had significantly higher FDG uptake intensity score (4.7 ± 0.2 vs 3.2 ± 0.2), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) value (9.6 ± 0.5 vs 4.5 ± 0.4), and target-to-background ratio (TBR) value (5.8 ± 0.3 vs 2.9 ± 0.2) than did the N-PAGI group. In the PAGI group, the in-hospital mortality, 5-year overall survival, and freedom from infection-related death were 15.9%, 69.3 ± 6.8%, and 81.8 ± 5.8%, respectively. The PET group (5.9 ± 0.4 zones) had previously undergone a significantly more extensive replacement or coverage than the non-PET group (3.5 ± 0.3 zones). However, late outcomes did not significantly differ between these 2 groups.
Conclusions:
Although 18F-FDG-PET/CT is useful for diagnosing PAGI, the in-hospital mortality remained high. Long-term outcomes of PAGI were acceptable.
