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Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Large Vessel Vasculitis: Giant Cell Arteritis

  • Peripheral Vascular Disease (MH Shishehbor, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Large vessel vasculitis (LVV) covers a spectrum of primary vasculitides predominantly affecting the aorta and its major branches. The two main subtypes are giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis (TA). Less commonly LVV occurs in various other diseases. Clinical manifestations result from vascular stenosis, occlusion, and dilation, sometimes complicated by aneurysm rupture or dissection. Occasionally LVV is discovered unexpectedly on pathological examination of a resected aortic aneurysm. Clinical evaluation is often unreliable in determining disease activity. Moreover, the diagnostic tools are imperfect. Acute phase reactants can be normal at presentation and available imaging modalities are more reliable in delineating vascular anatomy than in providing reliable information on degree of vascular inflammation. Glucocorticoids are the mainstay of therapy of LVV. Patients may develop predictable adverse effects from long-term glucocorticoid use. Several steroid-sparing agents have also shown some promise and are currently in use. Endovascular revascularization procedures and open surgical treatment for aneurysms and dissections are sometimes necessary, but results are not always favorable and relapses are common. This article, the first in a series of two, will be devoted to GCA and isolated (idiopathic) aortitis, while TA will be covered in detail in the next article.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Heather L. Gornik, MD, Medical Director, Non-invasive Vascular Laboratory, Department of Vascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, for providing the ultrasound Doppler images (Fig. 7).

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Soumya Chatterjee declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Scott D. Flamm has been a consultant for Bayer Healthcare on the Cardiac Imaging Advisory Board.

Carmela D. Tan declares that she has no conflict of interest.

E. Rene Rodriguez declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Correspondence to Soumya Chatterjee.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Peripheral Vascular Disease

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Chatterjee, S., Flamm, S.D., Tan, C.D. et al. Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Large Vessel Vasculitis: Giant Cell Arteritis. Curr Cardiol Rep 16, 498 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-014-0498-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-014-0498-z

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