Current Advances in Imaging Diagnosis of Bacterial Infectious Diseases: From Structural to Nano Imaging Modalities

Abstract

Infectious diseases significantly contribute to mortality and pose a growing public health challenge. Early diagnosis and treatment of acute bacterial infections are critical but often hindered by delayed or inadequate treatment. Rapid and accurate diagnostic tools are essential to manage such infections effectively. Direct imaging of infections has emerged as a promising diagnostic approach. Traditional methods rely on microscopy and bacterial culture from clinical samples, but bacterial growth can be slow and difficult, delaying diagnosis and worsening patient outcomes. This manuscript provides an overview of diagnostic methods for infectious diseases, emphasizing modern imaging techniques. This is a narrative review based on a literature search using databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, with keywords related to infectious diseases and imaging methods. It discusses recent trials in imaging strategies for diagnosing infections and explores their potential applications. Evaluating innovative tracers for imaging infections requires considering factors such as infection models, pathogen strains, imaging settings, and tracer uptake in infected tissues. Correlating tracer uptake with tissue data and pathogen viability cultured from tissues is crucial. This review highlights the need for advanced imaging tools to improve diagnosis and patient outcomes in infectious disease management.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Biomedicines, 2026 · DOI ↗