PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Lars Husmann AU - Bert-Ram Sah AU - Alexandra Scherrer AU - Irene A Burger AU - Paul Stolzmann AU - Rainer Weber AU - Zoran Rancic AU - Dieter Mayer AU - Barbara Hasse TI - <sup>18</sup>F-FDG-PET/CT FOR THERAPY CONTROL IN VASCULAR GRAFT INFECTIONS: A FIRST FEASIBILITY STUDY AID - 10.2967/jnumed.115.156265 DP - 2015 May 01 TA - Journal of Nuclear Medicine PG - jnumed.115.156265 4099 - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2015/05/14/jnumed.115.156265.short 4100 - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2015/05/14/jnumed.115.156265.full AB - The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of positron emission tomography/computed tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET/CT) for therapy control in patients with prosthetic vascular graft infections (PVGI). Methods: In this single-centre, observational, prospective cohort study, 25 patients with a median age of 66 years (range: 48-81) were included who had a proven PVGI. Follow-up FDG-PET/CT was performed at a median time interval of 170 days (range: 89-249) after baseline examination. Two independent and blinded readers measured maximum standardized uptake values (SUV max.) to quantify metabolic activity and analysed whole body datasets for secondary diagnosis (i.e., infectious foci not within graft vicinity). The metabolic activity of the graft was correlated with clinical information and two laboratory markers (C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC)). Results: FDG-PET/CT had an impact on management in all patients. In 19 of 25 patients (76%) antibiotic treatment was continued due to the results of follow-up FDG-PET/CT. Antibiotic treatment was stopped or changed in 8% and 16% of patients, respectively. In eight patients (32%) additional incidental findings were detected on follow-up FDG-PET/CT which had further impact on patient management. Only in a subgroup of patients with PVGI and no other sites of infection, a significant correlation between the difference in CRP at the time of baseline and follow-up FDG-PET/CT and the difference in SUV max. was found (n = 11; r = 0.84; P = 0.001). Conclusion: FDG-PET/CT represents a useful tool in therapy monitoring of PVGI and impacts on patient management. By providing quantitative data on the course of the graft infection and whole body imaging data, PET/CT differentiates between response of therapy to PVGI and other infectious foci.