An infection of trans venous endocardial pacemaker electrodes diagnosed by gallium 67 imaging. A case report

Authors report on a case of endo-carditis located on pacing atrial apparatus, 3 months after implantation, diagnosed by gallium 67 citrate whole-body scan. This non-conventional and non-invasive technique was tested 17 years ago. Because of numerous false-negative images and the development of echocardiography, the nuclear technique is not currently used to detect intracardiac infection. Based on different physical rules, scintigraphy is not limited by poor echo-genicity. Improvement of radionuclide techniques during the eighties and limitation of trans-thoracic echocardiography may leave an interesting place for infected focus intracardiac detection with the gallium 67 citrate imaging during a persistent unexplained fever. (authors). 18 refs., 2 figs