title: Role of imaging in the diagnosis of large and medium-sized vessel vasculitis.
abstract: In large-vessel vasculitis, imaging studies are useful to document temporal artery involvement and crucial to show large-vessel involvement. Color Doppler sonography, magnetic resonance, and computed tomography show early vasculitic lesions. Angiography delineates later vascular complications well. Color Doppler sonography, magnetic resonance angiography, and computed tomography angiography can also be used to show vascular luminal changes. Positron emission tomography is very sensitive in detecting large-vessel inflammation. Imaging procedures can also be used to monitor the course of large-vessel vasculitis. In medium-vessel vasculitis, imaging studies can be used to show both vascular changes and internal organ changes.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia 42123, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pipitone
authors.forename: Annibale
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Versari
authors.forename: Gene G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Hunder
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salvarani
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000175:diagnosis*