TABLE 4.

Follow up ¹⁸F‐FDG PET/CT image findings

	Infection sites with increased uptake in the first PET/CT scan	Changes of infection sites after treatment in the second PET/CT scan	Follow‐up and treatment
1	Sternum	Uptake decreased, range reduced	No recurrence
2	Sternum	Uptake decreased	No recurrence
	Right fifth to sixth and left fourth to sixth costal cartilage	Uptake decreased, range reduced
3	Sternum	Uptake decreased, range expanded	Recurrence, no surgery, died due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding
	Superior and anterior mediastinum	Uptake decreased
4	Sternum	Uptake increased	Recurrence, resurgery
	Right pericardium	Uptake decreased
5	Sternum	Uptake decreased	Recurrence, resurgery
	Anterior and middle mediastinum	Uptake increased
6	Sternum	Range reduced	SSWI, cured by debridements for chest wall only
7	Sternum	Uptake decreased, range reduced	Recurrence, resurgery
	Subxyphoid	Uptake increased
	Right pericardium	Uptake increased
8	Sternum	Uptake increased, range expanded	Recurrence, resurgery
	Right second costa	Uptake increased
	Superior and anterior mediastinum	Uptake increased
9	Sternum	Uptake decreased, range reduced	Recurrence, resurgery
	Superior mediastinum	Uptake increased, range expanded
10	Sternum	Uptake decreased, range reduced	Recurrence, resurgery
	Right fifth costal cartilage	Uptake decreased, range reduced
		New increased uptake at left second and right sixth costal cartilage
	Subxiphoid	Uptake decreased, range reduced

Abbreviations: ¹⁸F‐FDG PET/CT, ¹⁸F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography; SSWI, superficial sternal wound infection.