Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Aortitis accelerates the growth rate of thoracic aortic aneurysms
Main finding · Mean aneurysm growth rateResult — go to the resultFold acceleration 4.5Authors' conclusion
Inflammatory aortitis is associated with a 4.5-fold faster preoperative TAA growth rate compared with degenerative aneurysms, with CIA exhibiting two times the growth rate of GCA.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with histologically proven aortitis and matched controls with degenerative thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA)
- Participants
- 23 / 42 / 9 / 13
- Comparison
- Histologically proven inflammatory aortitis vs matched degenerative TAA
- Aortitisn = 23
- Controlsn = 42reference
- Clinically isolated aortitis (CIA)n = 9
- Giant cell arteritis (GCA)n = 13
- Outcome
- Aneurysm growth rate (mm/month) from serial imaging
Methodological detailsmatched for age, sex, surgical year and procedure type
- Matched for age, sex, surgical year and procedure type
Main finding
Mean aneurysm growth rate
Fold acceleration
4.5
P < 0.001
By group
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | CIA | GCA | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth rate, CIA vs GCACIA faster growth than GCA | 0.338 ± 0.06 mm/month | 2.1 mm/year | P < 0.01 |
| mm/year | 4.06 | — not stated in the abstract | |
| Bentall procedure requiredCIA vs GCA | 33% | 0% | P = 0.047 |
— not stated in the abstract
- Granulomatous inflammation in aortitis cases
- 70%
Baseline demographics, CV risk factors, baseline aortic diameters
- No differences between groups
Original publication
Aortitis accelerates the growth rate of thoracic aortic aneurysms. RMD Open. Published 11 June 2026. doi:10.
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