%0 Case Reports
%T 18-FDG PET/ CT Scan in the Diagnosis and Follow-up of Chronic Q fever Aortic Valve Endocarditis.
%A Chieng D
%A Janssen J
%A Benson S
%A Passage J
%A Lenzo N
%J Heart Lung Circ
%V 25
%N 2
%D Feb 2016
%M 26610711
%F 2.838
%R 10.1016/j.hlc.2015.09.007
%X Chronic Q fever endocarditis is a rare but important infection associated with risk of morbidity and mortality. Echocardiography rarely visualises the vegetative lesion. We describe the first Australian report of chronic Q fever aortic valve endocarditis confirmed with the use of 18 -FDG PET/ CT scan. Following valvular replacement, the patient had ongoing high serological titres despite active treatment and he was managed with yearly serial PET/ CT scan to confirm the absence of active infection. The utility of serial PET /CT scan imaging as a follow-up management strategy has not been described in the literature previously and should be investigated further.