Normal imaging findings after aortic valve implantation on 18 F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography.

Background: To determine the normal perivalvular ¹⁸ F-Fluorodeoxyglucose ( ¹⁸ F-FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) with computed tomography (CT) within one year after aortic prosthetic heart valve (PHV) implantation.
Methods: Patients with uncomplicated aortic PHV implantation were prospectively included and underwent ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT at either 5 (± 1) weeks (group 1), 12 (± 2) weeks (group 2) or 52 (± 8) weeks (group 3) after implantation. ¹⁸ F-FDG uptake around the PHV was scored qualitatively (none/low/intermediate/high) and quantitatively by measuring the maximum Standardized Uptake Value (SUV _max ) and target to background ratio (SUV _ratio ).
Results: In total, 37 patients (group 1: n = 12, group 2: n = 12, group 3: n = 13) (mean age 66 ± 8 years) were prospectively included. Perivalvular ¹⁸ F-FDG uptake was low (8/12 (67%)) and intermediate (4/12 (33%)) in group 1, low (7/12 (58%)) and intermediate (5/12 (42%)) in group 2, and low (8/13 (62%)) and intermediate (5/13 (38%)) in group 3 (P = 0.91). SUV _max was 4.1 ± 0.7, 4.6 ± 0.9 and 3.8 ± 0.7 (mean ± SD, P = 0.08), and SUV _ratio was 2.0 [1.9 to 2.2], 2.0 [1.8 to 2.6], and 1.9 [1.7 to 2.0] (median [IQR], P = 0.81) for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Conclusion: Non-infected aortic PHV have similar low to intermediate perivalvular ¹⁸ F-FDG uptake with similar SUV _max and SUV _ratio at 5, 12, and 52 weeks after implantation.
(© 2020. The Author(s).)