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An Immunohistopathologic Study to Profile the Folate Receptor Beta Macrophage and Vascular Immune Microenvironment in Giant Cell Arteritis
Published on: February 8, 2019
Aortic involvement in recent-onset giant cell (temporal) arteritis: a case-control prospective study using helical
Christian Agard1, Jacques-H Barrier, Benoît Dupas
1Internal Medicine, Hôtel-Dieu, Place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes Cedex 01, France. christian.agard@chu-nantes.fr
Arthritis and Rheumatism
|April 29, 2008
Summary
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) frequently involves the aorta, showing inflammatory thickening on CT scans at diagnosis. This thickening often affects the ascending aorta, highlighting a key complication of GCA.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Radiology
Background:
- Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic vasculitis with a 3-13% prevalence of large vessel involvement.
- Aortitis, inflammation of the aorta, is a serious complication of GCA.
- Computed tomodensitometry (CT) enables detailed analysis of the aorta's wall and lumen.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate aortic abnormalities in patients with recent-onset GCA using CT scans.
- To compare aortic imaging findings between GCA patients and a matched control group.
Main Methods:
- A prospective controlled study compared 22 biopsy-proven GCA patients with 22 sex- and age-matched controls with similar cardiovascular risk factors.
- Aortic CT scans were performed within 4 weeks of GCA diagnosis.
- Imaging results were analyzed blindly by comparing GCA patients and controls.
Main Results:
- Aortic wall thickening was significantly more frequent in GCA patients (45.4%) than controls (13.6%; P=0.02).
- Aortic thickening, averaging 3.3 mm, was observed in the ascending thoracic aorta in 22.7% of GCA patients (P=0.05).
- Abdominal aortic wall thickening occurred in 27.3% of GCA patients versus 0% of controls (P=0.02).
Conclusions:
- Inflammatory aortic thickening is a frequent finding at the time of GCA diagnosis, detectable by CT scan.
- The ascending aorta is the predominant site of this inflammatory thickening in GCA patients.
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