Surgical strategy for aortic prosthetic graft infection with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography

Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2016 Sep;64(9):549-51. doi: 10.1007/s11748-014-0516-5. Epub 2015 Jan 8.

Abstract

A 30-year-old man with Marfan syndrome who underwent Crawford type II extension aneurysm repair about 9 years ago was referred to our hospital with persistent fever. Computed tomography (CT) showed air around the mid-descending aortic prosthetic graft. Because the air did not disappear in spite of intravenous antibiotics, (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) was performed. FDG-PET/CT revealed four high-uptake lesions. After dissecting the aortic graft particularly focusing on the high-uptake lesions, this patient underwent in situ graft re-replacement of descending aortic graft with a rifampicin-bonded gelatin-impregnated Dacron graft and omentopexy. The patient remains well without recurrent infection at 3 months after surgery.

Keywords: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography; Graft infection; Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aorta, Thoracic / surgery
  • Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / surgery*
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis / adverse effects*
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marfan Syndrome / complications
  • Moraxella catarrhalis
  • Moraxellaceae Infections / diagnostic imaging
  • Moraxellaceae Infections / surgery*
  • Multimodal Imaging
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / methods
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / diagnostic imaging*
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / surgery
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Reoperation

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18