Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Sonographic study on vessel wall remodelling of the cranial and axillary arteries in giant cell arteritis under treatment: implications for diagnosis of relapses and impact of tocilizumab treatment
Authors' conclusion
Repeated ultrasound examinations appear to be of limited diagnostic value in the diagnosis of relapsing GCA.
Study context
- Population
- Patients diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA) between 01/2016 and 12/2022 (63% females, mean age 72.8±8.9 years)
- Participants
- 100 patients
- Exposure
- Tocilizumab within 6 months after diagnosis vs no tocilizumab; patients with vs without complete normalisation of wall thickening
- Tocilizumabn = 38
- Outcome
- Vessel wall remodelling on follow-up US
Methodological detailshigh-resolution vascular US at diagnosis and during follow-up
- High-resolution vascular US at diagnosis and during follow-up
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Reduction in wall thickening, superficial temporal arteries
- −0.42 mm
- Reduction in wall thickening, facial arteries
- −0.35 mm
- Reduction in wall thickening, axillary arteries
- −0.36 mm
- Normalisation of wall thickening, superficial temporal arteries
- 32.6%
- Normalisation of wall thickening, facial arteries
- 53.1%
- Normalisation of wall thickening, axillary arteries
- 35.5%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Effect of tocilizumab on mean intima-media thickness
- Slightly faster early reduction in mean IMT with tocilizumab, lost over time
Significant increase in maximum IMT (at least +0.3 mm) on repeated US in relapsing disease
- Superficial temporal arteries
- 3.6%
- Facial arteries
- 18.4%
- Axillary arteries
- 21.4%
Number of arterial territories affected
- One territory
- 31
- Two territories
- 50
- Three territories
- 17
Original publication
Sonographic study on vessel wall remodelling of the cranial and axillary arteries in giant cell arteritis under treatment: implications for diagnosis of relapses and impact of tocilizumab treatment. Clin Exp Rheumatol. Published 8 April 2025. doi:10.
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