The large vessel vasculitides were a major focus of the 21st International Vasculitis Workshop held in Barcelona in April. The biennial conference brings together specialists from multiple disciplines, including rheumatology, nephrology and immunology, to discuss cutting-edge vasculitis research. This article reviews important points regarding the pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of both giant cell arteritis and…
SAN DIEGO—The large vessel vasculitides, including Takayasu’s arteritis and giant cell arteritis, experienced a surge of interest at ACR Convergence 2023. Here, we highlight important points from 10 of the studies presented at this conference.
With both impressive sensitivity and specificity in capturing active large vessel vasculitis, a positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a potential tool for determining disease activity and predicting relapse in patients with large vessel vasculitis.
A rare form of large vessel vasculitis, Takayasu arteritis persents with no clear patterns, with patients experiencing vascular symptoms, as well as such systemic symptoms as fever and weight loss. A systematic literature review found evidence to guide rheumatologists in monitoring and treating their patients with Takayasu arteritis…
A systematic literature review identified novel evidence on the treatment and management of GCA that was incorporated into the most recent EULAR recommendations on the management of large vessel vasculitis. Investigators confirmed the efficacy of prompt initiation of glucocorticoids and found fast-track approaches to diagnosis lowered the risk of ischemic complications…
In ongoing work to validate data-driven outcome tools for clinical investigation in large vessel vasculitis, an international team of rheumatologists from the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Vasculitis Working Group has published a report on subclinical disease activity and patient perspectives on therapy response…
Imagine telling a patient “You’re in remission!” and finding out it’s not true. The last thing you want to do is get it wrong clinically and put your patient on an emotional rollercoaster. With large vessel vasculitis (LVV) in particular, physicians struggle to be accurate, to determine if indeed the disease has gone away or…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Patients with suspected large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) should undergo early imaging, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) advises in a new report presenting a dozen evidence-based recommendations for the use of imaging in primary LVV. Ultrasound should be the first choice for giant-cell arteritis (GCA), while MRI should take precedence for Takayasu arteritis…
Case studies show some patients with LVV can achieve remission after treatment with biological agents
How this rare form of large-vessel vasculitis affects different portions, branches of aorta and ways to diagnose, treat and manage the disease