[18F]FDG positron emission tomography and ultrasound in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis: congruent or complementary imaging methods?

Objectives: [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/CT and US are both well established for diagnosing GCA. The present study investigates their accuracy and whether they provide overlapping or complementary information in a cohort of patients presenting with suspicion of GCA.

Methods: We selected consecutive patients from our cohort of suspected GCA cases that underwent both extended vascular US and PET/CT for diagnostic work-up between December 2006 and August 2012.

Vessel wall plasticity in large vessel giant cell arteritis: an ultrasound follow-up study.

Objectives: To assess changes of arterial vessel wall morphology in large vessel GCA patients (LV-GCA) by repeated US.

Methods: Patients with LV-GCA on US examination were followed up 6, 12 and 24 months after diagnosis by US of the temporal, vertebral, carotid (common, internal, external), subclavian, axillary, femoral (deep, superficial and common) and popliteal arteries. Clinical and laboratory data were assessed at each visit.

[18F]FDG positron emission tomography in patients presenting with suspicion of giant cell arteritis-lessons from a vasculitis clinic.

Aims: The usefulness of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]FDG-PET/CT) for diagnosing giant cell arteritis (GCA) has been previously reported. Yet, the interpretation of PET scans is not clear-cut. The present study aimed at determining the best method to analyse PET/CT in a large, real-life cohort of patients presenting with suspicion of GCA.