Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Comparison of patients with biopsy positive and negative primary angiitis of the central nervous system
Authors' conclusion
Baseline clinical and radiological characteristics differed between biopsy positive and negative PACNS.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) (positive central nervous system (CNS) biopsy or otherwise unexplained intracranial stenoses with additional findings supportive of vasculitis) in the multicentre COVAC cohortbiopsy obtained in 100
- Participants
- 200 adults
- Exposure
- Biopsy positive vs biopsy negative PACNS
- BIOPSY POSITIVEn = 61
- Outcome
- Baseline clinical and radiological characteristics associated with a positive biopsy
- Follow-up
- Baseline
Methodological detailsmulticentre, logistic regression
- Multicentre
- Logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Characteristics associated with a positive biopsy
Estimate (95% CI)P value
Biopsy positivevs Biopsy negative
OR (female sex) 2.90(1.25–7.10)
P = 0.01Biopsy positivevs Biopsy negative
OR (seizures) 8.31(2.77–33.04)
P < 0.001Biopsy positivevs Biopsy negative
OR (cognitive impairment) 2.58(1.11–6.10)
P = 0.03Biopsy positivevs Biopsy negative
OR (non-ischaemic parenchymal or leptomeningeal gadolinium enhancement) 52.80(15.72–233.06)
P < 0.001Biopsy positivevs Biopsy negative
OR (≥1 cerebral microbleed) 8.08(3.03–25.13)
P < 0.001Biopsy positivevs Biopsy negative
OR (≥1 acute brain infarct) 0.02(0.004–0.08)
P < 0.001Biopsy positivevs Biopsy negative
aOR (non-ischaemic parenchymal or leptomeningeal gadolinium enhancement), multivariable 8.27(1.78–38.46)
P < 0.01Biopsy positivevs Biopsy negative
aOR (absence of ≥1 acute brain infarct), multivariable 0.13(0.03–0.65)
P = 0.01Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Comparison of patients with biopsy positive and negative primary angiitis of the central nervous system. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 6 October 2023. doi:10.
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