Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Large vessel vasculitis is a risk factor for relapse only in giant cell arteritis patients without polymyalgia rheumatica
Authors' conclusion
LVV is a risk factor for relapse in GCA patients without PMR symptoms with a higher relapse risk in those with higher TVS.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive patients diagnosed with GCA 2003–2020 with FDG PET at diagnosis ≤3 days after glucocorticoids (GC) initiation and followed ≥12 months, University Hospitals Leuven (Belgium)
- Participants
- 238 patients
- Exposure
- GCA with large vessel vasculitis (LVV) vs GCA without LVV, by presence of PMR symptoms
- LVVn = 169
- Outcome
- Relapse and probability of stopping GC, by LVV status in patients without and with PMR symptoms
Methodological detailssingle-centre, consecutive patients, FDG PET at diagnosis ≤3 days after GC initiation
- Single-centre
- Consecutive patients
- FDG PET at diagnosis ≤3 days after GC initiation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
LVV vs Without LVVEstimate (95% CI)P value
Relapse, patients without PMR symptoms
aOR 3.05(1.32–7.43)
P = 0.011Stopping GC, patients without PMR symptoms
aHR 0.59(0.37–0.94)
P = 0.025Relapse, patients with PMR symptoms
aOR 1.20(0.53–2.66)
P = 0.657Stopping GC, patients with PMR symptoms
aHR 1.25(0.75–2.09)
P = 0.394Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Baseline: age (years) and female sex · diagnosis · age
P < 0.001
Female LVV 72% · Without LVV 49% · P = 0.001
Relapse per higher total vascular score (TVS), by PMR symptoms
- Without PMR symptoms: aOR 1.09 (95% CI 1.04-1.15), P = 0.001
- With PMR symptoms: aOR 1.01 (95% CI 0.96-1.07), P = 0.693
Original publication
Large vessel vasculitis is a risk factor for relapse only in giant cell arteritis patients without polymyalgia rheumatica. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 22 August 2024. doi:10.
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