Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Dynamic vascular changes on long-term ultrasound monitoring predict relapse in large-vessel giant cell arteritis
Authors' conclusion
OGUS and its extended variants demonstrate sensitivity to change and prognostic value in LV-GCA. Early dynamic changes predict relapse, while delayed HC normalization characterizes relapsing patients.
Study context
- Population
- Newly diagnosed large-vessel giant cell arteritis (LV-GCA) patients from a fast-track clinic undergoing serial color duplex ultrasound (CDUS) of temporal, axillary, subclavian and carotid arteriesnewly diagnosed LV-GCA
- Participants
- 43 participants
- Exposure
- Relapsing vs non-relapsing patients
- Relapsingn = 26
- Outcome
- Dynamic changes in ultrasound findings (OGUS, OGUS-10LV, OGUS-12LV, halo count indices) during follow-up and their prognostic value for relapse
Methodological detailsserial CDUS during follow-up, fast-track clinic, ROC analysis
- Serial CDUS during follow-up
- Fast-track clinic
- ROC analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prediction of relapse at 12 months by ΔOGUS-12LV at 6 months (ROC)
Optimal cutoff ΔOGUS-12LV ≤ 0.07 at 6 months for predicting relapse at 12 months, AUC
0.944
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Time to HC normalization (no halo in any arteries), months
- HC8: non-relapsing vs relapsing
- 18 vs. 24 months
- HC10: non-relapsing vs relapsing
- 18 vs. 30
- HC12: non-relapsing vs relapsing
- 36 vs. not reached
- HC normalization occurred earlier in non-relapsing patients
Original publication
Dynamic vascular changes on long-term ultrasound monitoring predict relapse in large-vessel giant cell arteritis. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 4 February 2026. doi:10.
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