[ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography imaging in coronary artery stent infection and related complications alongside conventional investigative modalities: evolving the best practices for diagnosis and treatment response monitoring.

Revascularization of obstructed coronary arteries by coronary artery stenting through percutaneous intervention was a breakthrough in interventional cardiology, pioneered and perfected over the past four decades. Though it is associated with complications, the most dreaded is coronary stent infection (CSI), which may be complicated by the formation of in-stent restenosis, aneurysm/pseudoaneurysm formation, abscess, perforation of the coronaries, or pericardial effusion. The lack of standardized guidelines and the unpredictable course in multimorbid patients complicates management. While the role of [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography ([ 18 F]FDG PET/CT) is well-established in prosthetic valve endocarditis and cardiac device infection, its application in CSI warrants systematic evaluation. This case series assessed the utility of [ 18 F]FDG PET/CT in suspected CSI by correlating metabolic findings with clinical, biochemical, and anatomical modalities to characterize its diagnostic and response-assessment value.