Different giant cell arteritis phenotypes may present distinct types of ischaemic complications.

Objectives: To determine if the subtype of vascular ultrasound (US) presentation is associated with different types of ischaemic complications (IC) in giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Methods: Retrospective observational analysis of GCA clinically confirmed patients referred to US fast-track clinics at two centres. All patients underwent baseline US of cranial and extracranial arteries (carotid, subclavian and axillary).

The influence of the cardiac cycle on the halo sign and its impact on the ultrasound diagnosis of giant cell arteritis.

Objectives: To investigate whether hypoechoic wall thickness is influenced by the systole or diastole moment in the cardiac cycle and if this can influence ultrasound (US) assessments of giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Methods: US videos of 100 consecutive patients (50 with GCA, 50 without) performed between January 2021 and June 2023 were reviewed. Intima-media thickness (IMT) of temporal (including common trunk, frontal and parietal branches), axillary and subclavian arteries were measured at two different time points, at systolic peak (SP) and at the end-diastole (ED).

The OMERACT Giant cell arteritis Ultrasonography Score: a potential predictive outcome to assess the risk of relapse during follow-up.

Objective: To determine whether the OMERACT giant cell arteritis (GCA) Ultrasonography (US) Score (OGUS) change after treatment can be used for assessing the probability of relapse.

Methods: Multicenter retrospective study of GCA patients referred to two US GCA fast-track clinics over 2 years. Patients underwent US evaluation at baseline, 3 and 6 months.

Impact of ultrasound limitation to assess aortitis in patients with giant cell arteritis: comparative study with FDG-PET/CT.

Objective: To determine the impact of ultrasound (US) intrinsic limitation to assess aortitis versus FDG-PET/CT in patients with US-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to identify factors associated with aortic involvement.

Methods: Retrospective observational study of patients referred to US fast-track clinics at two academic centres over a 4-year period. Only patients with GCA confirmed by US were included.

Performance of the 2022 ACR/EULAR giant cell arteritis classification criteria for diagnosis in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis in routine clinical care.

Objective: To examine the performance of the new 2022 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/EULAR giant cell arteritis (GCA) classification criteria for diagnosis in routine clinical care.

Methods: Multicentric retrospective observational study of patients referred to two ultrasound (US) fast track clinics. Patients with GCA were compared with unselected controls with suspected GCA.

Ultrasound halo count in the differential diagnosis of atherosclerosis and large vessel giant cell arteritis.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic discriminant validity between large vessel giant cell arteritis (LV-GCA) and atherosclerosis using ultrasound (US) intima-media thickness (IMT) measurements.

Methods: We included 44 patients with LV-GCA and 42 with high-risk atherosclerosis. US examinations of the axillary, subclavian, and common carotid arteries (CCA) were systematically performed using a MylabX8 system (Genoa, Italy) with a 4-15-MHz probe.

Validity of the EULAR recommendations on the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis.

Objectives: The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) recommendations for the use of imaging in large vessel vasculitis establish that an imaging test supported by clinical pretest probability (PTP) is sufficient for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Our objective was to determine the validity of the EULAR recommendations on the use of Colour duplex ultrasound (CDUS) in GCA after calculating the PTP.

Methods: We collected data of all patients referred to our fast-track clinic between 2016 and 2020.

[Adult necrotizing enterocolitis, an atypical presentation of mesenteric ischemia?].

Necrotizing enterocolitis in adults (ECNA) is a disease of uncertain etiology, very rare, with very few cases described in the literature and with high mortality. There is a strong correlation between vascular and infectious events involved in the pathogenesis of massive intestinal necrosis in this entity.

False positives in the ultrasound diagnosis of giant cell arteritis: some diseases can also show the halo sign.

Objectives: To describe the frequency and causes for the presence of a halo sign on the ultrasound of patients without a diagnosis of GCA.

Methods: In total, 305 patients with temporal artery colour Doppler ultrasound showing the presence of halo sign (intima-media thickness ≥0.34 mm for temporal arteries [TAs] and ≥1 mm for axillary arteries) were included, and their medical records were reviewed.

Multiple vertebral fractures following discontinuation of denosumab treatment: Ten clinical cases report.

Objectives: Analyse clinical and bone metabolism features in a case series of patients with multiple vertebral fractures after discontinuation of denosumab (DMab).

Methods: An observational descriptive study analysing data from ten patients with multiple vertebral fractures after DMab discontinuation that were admitted to our rheumatology department between 2015 and 2018.

Results: There were a total of 49 spontaneous fractures after an average of 6 DMab doses and 10.

Empty sella and primary autoimmune hypothyroidism.

In order to assess the association between empty sella (ES) and primary autoimmune hypothyroidism, and the possibility of a common pathogenesis. We retrospectively studied all patients with presumed ES diagnosed in the last 20 years, most of whom were treated by our Endocrinology Department. Subjects with a known etiology were excluded.

Response of ACTH to octreotide in a probable corticotropic adenoma associated with Addison's disease.

Background: Our patient was a 65-year-old woman previously diagnosed with Addison's disease. She presented an empty sella turcica and, at the age of 47, was discovered to have autonomous hypersecretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), suggesting a corticotropic adenoma secondary to Addison's disease, with a lack of response to high levels of dexamethasone. She maintained high ACTH levels despite corticosteroid treatment.