Infection of prosthetic aortic graft in ascending aorta and role of positron emission tomography in the diagnosis. Case report

Abstract

Infection in a prosthetic graft in the ascending aorta is considered an infrequent complication with an incidence of 0.5%-6% but with high mortality (88%), even with surgical treatment. Related risk factors are diabetes mellitus, kidney failure and heart failure. The most frequent microorganism is Staphylococcus aureus. Clinical presentation can be very variable, from oligosymptomatic to sepsis. The classical imaging methods (ultrasonography, aortic angiotomography) are very relevant for diagnosis. In the last decade, positron emission tomography has acquired a relevant role in cases with diagnostic doubts, such as the patient to be analyzed.