Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
18F ‐Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Assessment Within a Randomized Controlled Trial in Giant Cell Arteritis
Authors' conclusion
Vascular FDG-PET activity may be discordant with clinical assessment, particularly in subsets of patients with GCA.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with new-onset or relapsing giant cell arteritis (GCA) randomised to guselkumab or placebo plus tapered GC in an international, multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT)
- Participants
- 51 patients
- Comparison
- FDG-PET imaging vs clinical- and laboratory-based assessments of disease activity
- Active FDG-PETn = 28
Methodological detailsimaging substudy, international, multicentre
- Imaging substudy
- International
- Multicentre
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Baseline FDG-PET active vasculitis, 28 of 51 patients
55%
Further findings
Age associated with increased baseline FDG-PET activity
- Younger age significantly associated with increased FDG-PET activity (70 vs 76 years)
- P = 0.03
Female sex associated with increased baseline FDG-PET activity
- Female sex significantly associated with increased FDG-PET activity (89% vs 48%)
- P < 0.01
Baseline FDG-PET activity vs clinical symptoms, acute phase reactants, risk of flare
- Not associated with clinical symptoms, acute phase reactants, or risk of flare
Prior GC dose and duration, baseline active vs inactive FDG-PET
- No differences in prior GC dose (median 780 mg) or duration (median 23 days)
Active FDG-PET during clinical flare
- Active scans during flare
- 17 of 21 (81%)
Active FDG-PET at week 52
- Active scans at week 52
- 14 of 20 (70%)
Persistently active or inactive positron emission tomography (PET) at all time points, independent of clinical assessment
- Persistently active
- 21
- Persistently inactive
- 9
Original publication
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