The Contribution of [18F] FDG PET/CT in the Diagnosis of Prosthetic Valve Infective Endocarditis

Introduction: Infective endocarditis is a potentially life-threatening disease that requires rapid and accurate diagnosis. Recently, [18F] FDG PET/CT has been incorporated as a new major criterion for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Case Report: This report describes a 54-year-old female patient who underwent mitral valve replacement in 2018 for symptomatic severe mitral stenosis with atrial fibrillation. She presented with infectious symptoms on clinical examination. Following transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, the differential diagnosis included prosthetic valve infective endocarditis versus mechanical prosthesis thrombosis. [18F] FDG PET/CT ultimately confirmed the diagnosis of prosthetic valve infective endocarditis. Conclusion: This case highlights the significant advantages of [18F] FDG PET/CT in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected prosthetic valve infective endocarditis, particularly when conventional echocardiographic examinations are inconclusive. Keywords: Endocarditis, Fluorodeoxyglucose F18, Positron Emission Tomography