Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals for Infection Imaging

In the field of infection processes, over the past few decades, nuclear medicine imaging has emerged as a major modality in helping infection specialists, by means of many targeted radiopharmaceuticals. The applications of nuclear medicine in this domain range from infection detection, assessing the response to treatment, and confirmation of cure, to identifying reactivation of previously-healed infection. New, successive generations of radiotracer molecules are being discovered, providing higher sensitivity, higher specificity and/or a broader range of applications, catering to the clinician or researcher’s requirements. This chapter provides a brief and structured account of these radiopharmaceuticals used for infection imaging. The primary goal is to help the reader understand the various molecules, their chief mechanisms of action and the major potential pitfalls to expect while using them. Some of the newer radiopharmaceuticals with innovative mechanisms are also highlighted, which cater to more specific infection detection mechanisms and aim at improved diagnostic accuracy.