Impact of a dedicated cardiac protocol on diagnosis of infective endocarditis in patients undergoing [F]-FDG-thoracic digital-PET/CT - Effects of expertise level.

Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of dedicated cardiac protocol (DCP) on diagnostic accuracy of state-of-the-art digital [F]-FDG-PET/CT in infective endocarditis (IE) and the intra-individual comparison of the performance with that of conventional whole-body approach (WBA) and to analyze the effects of the expertise level of the investigators.

Methods: 44 patients suspected for IE underwent digital-FDG-PET/CT after overnight fasting. Each three consultants and trainees reread PET images blinded to the examination approach and clinical information.