Role of Nuclear Imaging in Infectious Diseases

Abstract

Pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi are well-known causes of infectious diseases, and these diseases have a greater impact on populations with limited resources. Rapid and accurate diagnostic criteria and methods are essential to address the emergence of infectious diseases. Improvements in diagnostic criteria and methods are critical to safeguarding public health and mitigating the impact of these diseases on a global scale. Nuclear medicine and imaging have been found to be effective in identifying lesions in patients with idiopathic fever and differentiating between infective and non-infective lesions. This research article reviews the use of nuclear imaging in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases, with a comprehensive literature review starting on September 4th, 2023, from research databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane. The literature search for this study focused on the burden of infectious disease, diagnostic inaccuracies, and their outcomes, the recent role of nuclear imaging, and sensitive diagnosis. While nuclear imaging is not typically the first-line diagnostic tool for infectious diseases, it can provide valuable insights in certain situations and should be further explored as a primary diagnostic tool. Nuclear imaging can be used to identify the location of the infection, the source of the infection, and to evaluate the progress of treatment therapy. It is also important to identify the sensitivity and specificity of each infectious disease case to accurately diagnose the disease using nuclear imaging. Although the use of these diagnostic tools is context-specific, nuclear imaging plays a valuable role in the comprehensive assessment of infectious diseases and contributes to improved patient care and research in the field of infectious disease management