Influence of corticosteroid treatment on MRI findings in giant cell arteritis

Thorsten A. Bley*, T. Ness, K. Warnatz, A. Frydrychowicz, M. Uhl, J. Hennig, M. Langer, M. Markl

*Corresponding author for this work
18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) remains a diagnostic challenge. With the use of a high-resolution MRI protocol, visualization of the superficial cranial arteries is feasible and mural inflammation can be assessed noninvasively. Until today, it is not known how soon inflammatory signals in diagnostic MR imaging vanish after initiation of treatment. Here, we report sequential MR imaging findings during the initial weeks of corticosteroid treatment in a 79-year-old female patient with histologically proven GCA. Mural inflammatory changes decreased within the first 2 weeks and have almost entirely vanished after 2 1/2 months of continued treatment. Moreover, MR angiography revealed sequential stenoses of the subclavian artery, which improved in variable extent with some residuals despite high dose steroid medication. This report underlines the value of high-resolution MRI in diagnosis and follow-up of GCA and illustrates the potential of MRI to detect and monitor intra- and extra-cranial involvement patterns of GCA in high detail.

Original languageEnglish
JournalClinical Rheumatology
Volume26
Issue number9
Pages (from-to)1541-1543
Number of pages3
ISSN0770-3198
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.09.2007

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