Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
The influence of baseline aortitis on aortic dilation risk in GCA: a multicentre imaging study
Authors' conclusion
Aortic involvement is common at the time of GCA diagnosis, and baseline aortic diameter is the strongest predictor of future dilation in our cohort.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with new-onset GCA from two European centres with baseline thoracic aortic imaging within 6 months of diagnosis and ≥1 follow-up imaging ≥6 months later
- Participants
- 157 patients
- Exposure
- Aortitis vs no aortitis at baseline; baseline aortic diameter as predictor
- Outcome
- Baseline aortic diameter, aortic expansion (cm²/year) and incident aortic dilation
Methodological detailsmulticentre, multivariable regression adjusted for sex and age
- Multicentre
- Multivariable regression adjusted for sex and age
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Aortitis at baseline
- 60.4%
- Aortic dilation at baseline, predominantly mid-ascending aorta
- 19.6%
- Incident aortic dilation over median follow-up of 30 months
- 9.8%
- Aortitis associated with baseline aortic dilation, aOR
- 2.3 (95% CI 1.0, 5.1)
- Baseline aortic diameter as predictor of aortic expansion, β (P = 0.006)
- 0.088
- Baseline aortic diameter as predictor of incident aortic dilation, aHR
- 3.9 (95% CI 2.0, 7.3)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Aortic diameter by baseline aortitis
- Aortitis associated with larger aortic diameters
Original publication
The influence of baseline aortitis on aortic dilation risk in GCA: a multicentre imaging study. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 9 December 2025. doi:10.
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