Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Follow-up ultrasound examination in patients with newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis
Authors' conclusion
Vascular ultrasound is sensitive to change in GCA. The presence of PMR or treatment with tocilizumab did not affect IMT decrease.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis (GCA)36 completed follow-up
- Participants
- 50 patients
- Outcome
- Changes in IMT, total number of affected arteries and provisional OMERACT GCA ultrasonography score (OGUS)
- Follow-up
- 12 months
Methodological details12-month follow-up
- 12-month follow-up
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Changes in IMT, number of affected arteries and OGUS over 12 months
- Significant reductions in intima-media thickness (IMT), total number of affected arteries and OMERACT GCA ultrasonography score (OGUS)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Weekly exams subgroup (first 100 days): time to IMT normalisation
- Patients with weekly exams
- 18
- Mean IMT of axillary artery normalised after (days)
- 7
- IMT of common temporal artery normalised after (days)
- 50
Mean OGUS · 6 months
- Mean OGUS values below 1 after 6 months
IMT changes with vs without PMR, and with vs without additional tocilizumab
- No differences in IMT changes
Relapse
- Patients with relapse
- 4
- At relapse, mean IMT and OGUS higher than at preceding assessment
- No predictive values indicating a relapse identified
Original publication
Follow-up ultrasound examination in patients with newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 15 February 2024. doi:10.
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