Zhang Yuyang, Williams Hadyn, Pucar Darko
Department of Radiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912 USA.
Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2017 Mar;51(1):86-87. doi: 10.1007/s13139-016-0424-y. Epub 2016 Jun 8.
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is one of the most common forms of cyanotic congenital heart disease usually managed by serial surgical repairs. The repaired prosthetic valve or conduit is susceptible to life-threatening infection. FDG-PET is an effective alternative to evaluate the source of infection when other examinations are inconclusive. We report an unusual case of an infected pulmonary artery conduit after TOF repair although the echocardiogram was negative for vegetation, which was later confirmed by surgery and pathology. The case highlights the role of FDG-PET as a problem-solving tool for potential endocarditis and cardiac device infection cases after complex cardiac surgery.
法洛四联症(TOF)是最常见的青紫型先天性心脏病之一,通常需通过一系列外科修复手术进行治疗。修复后的人工瓣膜或管道易发生危及生命的感染。当其他检查结果不明确时,氟脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射断层扫描(FDG-PET)是评估感染源的有效替代方法。我们报告了一例法洛四联症修复术后肺动脉管道感染的罕见病例,尽管超声心动图未发现赘生物,但手术和病理结果后来证实了感染。该病例凸显了FDG-PET在复杂心脏手术后潜在的心内膜炎和心脏装置感染病例中作为解决问题工具的作用。