title: Aortitis.
abstract: Aortitis encompasses all conditions, infectious or non-infectious, leading to different types of inflammation of the aortic wall. The clinical manifestations are usually nonspecific, as are laboratory findings, and sometimes may mimic other diseases. Imaging modalities can help in the assessment of these patients and are often required for making the final diagnosis. It is extremely important to establish an early diagnosis in order to treat timely potentially life-threatening conditions. Anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, sometimes in combination with surgical or endovascular therapies, are proposed according to etiology and disease severity. This review focuses on the classification, epidemiology, diagnostic approach, and management of aortitis with which physicians should be familiar.
authors.affiliation: Heart Department, University Hospital, Salerno, Italy. Electronic address: ebossone@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bossone
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Adult with Congenital Heart Disease, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Pluchinotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andreas
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dupuytren University Hospital, Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.affiliation: Heart Department, University Hospital, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Citro
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Limongelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Della Corte
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ankit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Adult with Congenital Heart Disease, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigiola
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Stamatios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lerakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dupuytren University Hospital, Limoges, France; Inserm 1094, Limoges School of Medicine, Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aboyans
mesh_terms: D001025:Aortitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Aortitis; Large vessel vasculitis; Multimodality imaging