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).

Efficacy and safety of leflunomide in the management of large vessel vasculitis: A systematic review and metaanalysis of cohort studies.

Objective: The search for new glucocorticoid-sparing disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs continues to be an unmet need in large vessel vasculitis (LVV). This report aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of leflunomide (LEF) in Takayasu arteritis (TA) and giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature, searching for studies evaluating the efficacy of LEF in LVV.