French recommendations for the use of imaging in giant cell arteritis

Early imaging test for patients with suspected giant cell arteritis (GCA)

Doppler ultrasound (DUS) as first-line imaging test for all patients with suspected GCA

FDG-PET, cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), aortic MRI and computed tomography (CT)-scan can be used as alternative methods to assess cranial and/or extracranial arteries, providing imaging evidence of vasculitis

Imaging of large vessels also useful for determining prognosis and follow-up procedures

Suspected visual GCA: ophthalmoscopic fundus examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and retinal angiography in emergency

Imaging not routinely recommended for follow-up; may be used to assess persistent vascular inflammation in suspected relapse, especially when inflammatory biomarkers are unreliable

In this situation, vascular activity scores recommended for follow-up

Imaging may be used to monitor long-term structural damage, particularly where vascular inflammation previously detected