title: New arguments for a vasculitic nature of polymyalgia rheumatica using positron emission tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the possible contribution of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive case series consisting of five patients with polymyalgia rheumatica, six patients with temporal arteritis and 23 age-matched patients with other inflammatory conditions were evaluated with FDG-PET. Studies were performed before therapy with steroids was started.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 4/6 patients with giant cell arteritis and 4/5 patients with polymyalgia had increased FDG uptake in their thoracic vessels, compared to 1/23 controls (P < 0.001). Increased vascular FDG uptake in the upper legs was seen in 8/11 patients with giant cell arteritis or polymyalgia compared to 8/23 control patients (P < 0.05), and in the lower legs in 6/11 patients compared to 6/23 controls (P = not significant).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FDG-PET scan is the first non-invasive technique which may indicate large-vessel vasculitis and which can show its extension throughout the body. It strongly suggests that polymyalgia rheumatica is a form of vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blockmans
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stroobants
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nuyts
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bormans
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Knockaert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bobbaers
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mortelmans
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013348:Subclavian Artery; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18