Innovations in Imaging: ¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for Assessment of Cardiovascular Infection and Inflammation

¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) combined with computed tomography (CT), referred to as ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT, plays a significant role in the diagnosis and management of patients with systemic infectious and inflammatory conditions. This review provides an overview of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in systemic infectious and inflammatory conditions, including infective endocarditis (IE), cardiac implantable electrical device (CIED)/left ventricular assist device (LVAD) infection, sarcoidosis, and large-vessel vasculitis (LVV).

This review highlights the past and present literature in the increasing role of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in cardiovascular inflammation and infection, including diagnostic and prognostic findings.

They key aspects of this paper are to highlight the importance of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in cardiovascular infection and inflammation, and to provide illustrations of how it can contribute to patient diagnosis and management.