Persistence of Imaging Abnormality in Patients with Large Vessel Vasculitis Despite Clinical Remission

Luigi Boiardi¹, Pierluigi Macchioni¹, Francesco Muratore², Chiara Marvisi¹, Caterina Ricordi¹, Annibale Versari¹, Giulia Besutti¹, Lucia Spaggiari¹, Stefania Croci¹ and Carlo Salvarani¹, ¹Azienda Sanitaria Locale, IRCSS, Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy, ²Unit of Rheumatology, Azienda USL - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy

Meeting: ACR Convergence 2024

Keywords: autoimmune diseases, giant cell arteritis, Imaging, Outcome measures, Vasculitis

Session Information

Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024

Title: Vasculitis – Non-ANCA-Associated & Related Disorders Poster II

Session Type: Poster Session B

Session Time: 10:30AM-12:30PM

Background/Purpose: Aim of our study was to evaluate the persistence of imaging abnormalities in patients with Takayasu (TAK) and large vessel giant cell arteritis (LV-GCA) at during a phase of clinical remission.

Methods: 119 patients with LVV (48 TAK and 71 LV-GCA) were studied during a long follow-up period (mean 140.7 + 77.0 months). The patients were evaluated using different types of imaging modalities (ultranosonography (US), CT, MRI, PET-CT). We evaluate the radiological abnomalities at the end of follow-up when the patients were in clinical remission. Imaging were considered abnormal in the presence of thickening, stenosis/occlusions, dilatation by US, CT, MRI or a FDG uptake >0 by PET-CT scan. The presence of imaging arnomalities were compared in TAK vs LV-GCA patient groups during a phase of clinical remission. Clinical remission was defined according to EULAR criteria.

Results: 87.4% patients with LVV had persistent imaging abnormalities during the phase of clinical remission. Imaging abnormalities were more frequent in TAK than in LV-GCA patients (46/48 (95.8%) vs 58/71 (81.7) respectively; P=0.023). By US persistent thickening, stenosis/occlusions was more frequent in TAK patients 24/25 (96.0%) than in LV-GCA patiens 19/25 (76.6%)(P=0.042). Using CT and/or MRI the persistence of thickening, stenosis/occlusions was more frequent in TAK patients 43/45 (95.6%) than in LV-GCA patients 20/25 (80.0%) (P=0.038). By PET-CT scan persistent FDG uptake > 0 was more frequent in LV-GCA 37/65 (56.9%) than in TAK patients 15/43 (34.9%) (P=0.025).

Conclusion: During a phase of clinical remission we observed a high prevalence of imaging abnormalities in LVV patients. Using US, CT or MRI TAK patients have higher prevalence of persistent lesions while using PET-CT scan imaging alteration were more prevalent in LV-GCA patients.

Disclosures: L. Boiardi: None; P. Macchioni: None; F. Muratore: None; C. Marvisi: None; C. Ricordi: None; A. Versari: None; G. Besutti: None; L. Spaggiari: None; S. Croci: None; C. Salvarani: None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Boiardi L, Macchioni P, Muratore F, Marvisi C, Ricordi C, Versari A, Besutti G, Spaggiari L, Croci S, Salvarani C. Persistence of Imaging Abnormality in Patients with Large Vessel Vasculitis Despite Clinical Remission [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024; 76 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/persistence-of-imaging-abnormality-in-patients-with-large-vessel-vasculitis-despite-clinical-remission/. Accessed .

« Back to ACR Convergence 2024

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/persistence-of-imaging-abnormality-in-patients-with-large-vessel-vasculitis-despite-clinical-remission/