Role of imaging studies in the diagnosis and evaluation of giant cell arteritis in Japanese: report of eight cases.
The objective of this study is to clarify the characteristics and imaging results of Japanese patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Eight patients with biopsy-proven GCA were enrolled. Their clinical data and imaging results were retrospectively examined from their medical records. All the patients met the criteria for the classification of GCA by the American College of Rheumatology. Although the clinical manifestations are similar to those previously reported, none of the eight patients presented ocular symptoms, and half of them presented jaw claudication. Ultrasonography (US) of temporal artery showed the halo sign in all the patients. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was performed in four patients and indicated the presence of aortitis of the patients. US is a quick and noninvasive test to detect inflammation of temporal artery, and FDG-PET is very helpful for early diagnosis of aortitis in GCA. Awareness of the disease and appropriate imaging tests will result in diagnosis of GCA.
Department of Clinical Pathology and Immunology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan. morinobu@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
Akio
A
Morinobu
Goh
G
Tsuji
Shimpei
S
Kasagi
Jun
J
Saegusa
Hiroki
H
Hayashi
Takashi
T
Nakazawa
Yoshinori
Y
Kogata
Kenta
K
Misaki
Keisuke
K
Nishimura
Sho
S
Sendo
Natsuko
N
Miura
Seiji
S
Kawano
Shunichi
S
Kumagai
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001025:Aortitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18