Cardiac 18F-FDG PET/CT procedure for the diagnosis of prosthetic endocarditis and intracardiac devices

Failed endocarditis prophylaxis before a dental procedure in a high-risk single-lung patient with a bioprosthetic heart valve: A rare case report

Regarding endocarditis prophylaxis, there is an increasing burden of enterococci related to antibiotic resistances. The testing of the bacterial milieu of the oral cavity before dental procedures may be promising to adjust the antibiotics.

F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the infection of heart

Infections involving the heart are becoming increasingly common, and a timely diagnosis of utmost importance, despite its challenges. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a recently introduced diagnostic tool in cardiology. This review focuses on the current evidence for the use of FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis, cardiac implantable device infection, left ventricular assist device infection, and secondary complications. The author discusses considerations when using FDG PET/CT in routine clinical practice, patient preparation for reducing physiologic myocardial uptake, acquisition of images, and interpretation of PET/CT findings. This review also functions to highlight the need for a standardized acquisition protocol.