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The Use of Positron Emission Tomography With (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose for the Diagnosis of Vascular Graft Infection

Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium, patrick.lauwers{at}uza.be

Sylvie Van den Broeck, MD

Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium

Laurens Carp, MD

Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium

Jeroen Hendriks, PhD

Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium

Paul Van Schil, PhD

Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium

Pierre Blockx, PhD

Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium

Vascular graft infection is associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate. Diagnosis is difficult, as there is no single diagnostic criterion that has a 100% accuracy. A combination of physical examination, laboratory tests, and several imaging techniques is mandatory. Beside a wide range of indications in the oncological field, positron emission tomography with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) has a well-known role in the diagnosis of bone and soft-tissue infections. Some authors have recently reported on the potential use of FDG-PET in the diagnosis of vascular graft infections. The aim of this study is to review personal experience. Five consecutive patients with a suspected prosthetic infection (1 aortobifemoral bypass, 3 femoropopliteal bypasses, and 1 femorofemoral bypass) underwent FDG-PET. All prostheses showed a moderate or intense FDG tracer uptake. All 3 patients with an intense FDG uptake proved to have a prosthetic infection (based on microbiologic examination). These preliminary results suggest that FDG-PET might be an interesting tool to confirm vascular graft infection.

This version was published on January 1, 2008

Angiology, Vol. 58, No. 6, 717-724 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0003319707299205


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