Advances in the diagnosis of large vessel vasculitis.
The diagnosis of large-vessel vasculitis has experienced substantial improvement in recent years. While Takayasu arteritis diagnosis relies on imaging, the involvement of epicranial arteries by giant-cell arteritis facilitates histopathological confirmation. When appropriately performed temporal artery biopsy has high sensitivity and specificity. However, an optimal biopsy is not always achievable and, occasionally, the superficial temporal artery may not be involved. Imaging in its various modalities including colour-duplex ultrasonography, computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance angiography and positron emission tomography, are emerging as important procedures for the diagnosis and assessment of disease extent in large-vessel vasculitis. Recent contributions to the better performance and interpretation of temporal artery biopsies as well as advances in imaging are the focus of the present review.
Vasculitis Research Unit, Department of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
Georgina
G
Espígol-Frigolé
Vasculitis Research Unit, Department of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
Sergio
S
Prieto-González
Vasculitis Research Unit, Department of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
Marco A
MA
Alba
Vasculitis Research Unit, Department of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
Itziar
I
Tavera-Bahillo
Vasculitis Research Unit, Emergency Department, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
Ana
A
García-Martínez
Center for Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
Rosa
R
Gilabert
Vasculitis Research Unit, Department of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
José
J
Hernández-Rodríguez
Vasculitis Research Unit, Department of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain. Electronic address: mccid@clinic.ub.es.
Maria C
MC
Cid
D000792:Angiography; D001706:Biopsy; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
Diagnosis; Giant-cell arteritis; Imaging; Takayasu arteritis; Temporal artery biopsy