Follow-up electron beam CT for the management of early phase Takayasu arteritis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this work was to assess typical findings of Takayasu arteritis on serial CT examinations following therapy.


METHODS
Serial CT studies were performed on 16 patients with early phase Takayasu arteritis. Mural or luminal changes of the aorta on successive CT scans were compared with clinical data.


RESULTS
Vascular lesions progressed during follow-up in 6 of 16 patients. In one patient, progression of lesions was symptomatic. In the other five of six patients with worsening lesions, vascular progression occurred without new clinical symptoms and was first identified on CT scans. One of these five had dilatation of the ascending aorta and required aortic repair. Four others had progression of stenotic vascular lesions leading to changes in medical treatment only or in combination with either surgery or angioplasty. For two of them, CT examinations showed decreased mural lesions after changes in medical treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
CT examinations performed in treated patients with Takayasu arteritis demonstrate either regression, stabilization, or progression of vascular lesions. Serial CT examinations may thus be useful for evaluating response to treatment.
Paul
J F
JF
Service de Radiologie, Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, Paris, France. pauljf@ccml.com
Fiessinger
J N
JN
Sapoval
M
M
Hernigou
A
A
Mousseaux
E
E
Emmerich
J
J
Piette
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*