Vol.21 No.4

Original Article

Role of imaging studies in the diagnosis and evaluation of giant cell arteritis in Japanese: report of eight cases

Authors

Akio Morinobu1 , Goh Tsuji1,4 , Shimpei Kasagi1 , Jun Saegusa2 , Hiroki Hayashi1,5 , Takashi Nakazawa1,6 , Yoshinori Kogata2 , Kenta Misaki1 , Keisuke Nishimura1,6 , Sho Sendo1,4 , Natsuko Miura1,6 , Seiji Kawano3, Shunichi Kumagai1,2

  • Department of Clinical Pathology and Immunology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
  • Department of Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
  • Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan
  • Present address: Department of Rheumatic Disease, Shinko Hospital, Kobe, Japan
  • Present address: Department of Internal Medicine, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan
  • Present address: Department of Endocrinology and Rheumatology, Kurashiki Central Hospital, Kurashiki, Japan
Received:

28 September 2010

Accepted:

13 December 2010

Published online:

21 January 2011

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to clarify the characteristics and imaging results of Japanese patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Eight patients with biopsy-proven GCA were enrolled. Their clinical data and imaging results were retrospectively examined from their medical records. All the patients met the criteria for the classification of GCA by the American College of Rheumatology. Although the clinical manifestations are similar to those previously reported, none of the eight patients presented ocular symptoms, and half of them presented jaw claudication. Ultrasonography (US) of temporal artery showed the halo sign in all the patients. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was performed in four patients and indicated the presence of aortitis of the patients. US is a quick and noninvasive test to detect inflammation of temporal artery, and FDG-PET is very helpful for early diagnosis of aortitis in GCA. Awareness of the disease and appropriate imaging tests will result in diagnosis of GCA.

Key words

Giant cell arteritis - FDG-PET - Ultrasonography