Link to Pubmed [PMID] – 23499183
Int. J. Infect. Dis. 2013 Sep;17(9):e781-3
Melioidosis is an endemic disease in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. It habitually affects immune-depressed hosts and may have a wide range of clinical manifestations. The use of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) has not been described previously for this disease. We report the case of a European traveler without comorbidities who developed melioidosis with pulmonary and bone marrow involvement 1 year after exposure. Antibiotic treatment was managed by taking into account the evolution on PET-CT. We review the literature and suggest the use of PET-CT for the initial evaluation of melioidosis, especially to look for a bone location, and to manage the length of antibiotic therapy.