Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Large vessel giant cell arteritis in remission: Is imaging useful as predictor for relapses?
Authors' conclusion
Vascular imaging at TS did not predict relapse in our cohort. There is a signal pointing towards a potential association of periarticular inflammation in PET/CT at TS to subsequent relapses, that warrants further validation.
Study context
- Population
- Large vessel giant cell arteritis (LV-GCA) patients who discontinued treatment in remission and underwent PET/CT and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within ±4 months of treatment stoppatients with imaging at treatment stop (TS)
- Participants
- 46 patients
- Exposure
- Vasculitic findings on PET/CT and/or MRI at treatment stop and relapse
- Vasculitic findings (VF) AT TSn = 25
- POSITIVE LEUVEN SCOREn = 6
- Outcome
- Relapse by VF at TS
Methodological detailsKaplan-Meier and Cox regression
- Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- VF at TS not associated with relapse
- p = 0.1
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Relapse by positive Leuven score at TS
| HR (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| POSITIVE LEUVEN SCOREAll six patients relapsed | 5.35 (1.70–16.83) | P = 0.004 | |
| 0.050.21520Hazard ratio (log scale) |
Relapse by PET/CT findings (SUV segment/liver ratio, modified PETVAS)
- Not predictive for relapse
- P ≥ 0.6
Relapse by absence of VF in MRI at TS
- Absence of VF in MRI at TS associated with relapse
- P = 0.005
VF at TS · treatment stop
- All patients
- 54% (25/46)
- MRIs
- 47% (15/32)
- PET/CTs
- 50% (14/28)
- Positive on both modalities
- 4/14
Relapse during follow-up · median 4.7 months after TS
- Patients relapsed
- 48% (22/46)
- Minor relapses
- 82%
- Major relapses
- 18%
Original publication
Large vessel giant cell arteritis in remission: Is imaging useful as predictor for relapses? Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 4 November 2026. doi:10.
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