Diagnosis of Fungal Infection (Candida albicans) After Heart Transplantation in a Pediatric Case with Fever of Unknown Origin: Role of 99mTc-UBI SPECT/CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT

Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2023 Jun;57(3):155-158. doi: 10.1007/s13139-022-00781-3. Epub 2022 Nov 2.

Abstract

The diagnosis of patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) in pediatric heart transplantation is a challenging medical problem. The physician should differentiate between rejections, infections, malignancy, adrenal insufficiency, and drug fever. Immunosuppressive therapy in these patients exposes them to a high risk of developing a post-transplantation fungal infection. In this case, we discuss the diagnostic contribution of the 99mTc-UBI scan and 18F-FDG PET scan for diagnosis of fungal infection causing FUO in these patients.

Keywords: Computed Tomography; FUO; Fungal Infection; Positron Emission Tomography.

Publication types

  • Case Reports