Stéphane Silvera MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Joelle Uzan-Augui MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Aude Fregeville MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Alfred Mahr MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hervé Gouya MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Olivier Bernard Vignaux MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Loic Guillevin, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Paul Legmann MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

00030490-DMT et al, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To assess high resolution ultrasound scanner (HR-US) accuracy to reveal mural changes of superficial temporal artery in giant cells arteritis (GCA).

HR-US of the temporal arteries of 27 patients with suspected GCA was performed by using a dedicated high frequency probe of 25 MHz. Mural thicknesses and luminal diameter were measured, parallelism of the external border of the artery, compressibility and as well as hypoechoic wall were qualitatively analyzed. For all patients, HR-US results were compared with clinical findings, laboratory test and temporal artery biopsy.  

HR-US clearly allowed an evaluation of both superficial temporal arteries for all patients. Temporal arterial biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of arteritis in 21 patients. 23 patients were GCA positive according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Of these 23 patients, 20 patients had a HR-US positive diagnosis of arteritis and 3 patients had false negative diagnosis. In 13 patients, HR-US showed a dark vessel wall corresponding to dark halo sign. In the remaining 10 patients, loss of parallelism, thickening of the vessel wall allowed the final diagnosis of arteritis. The overall accuracy of HR-US was 87% compared with biopsy and 95% compared with ACR criteria.  

HR-US demonstrated perfect visualization of superficial temporal arteries. Its high spatial resolution allowed the analysis of the vessel wall changes: wall thickening, hypoechoic wall, loss of parallelism. Those HR-US criteria showed a good agreement with histologic results and ACR criteria.

High resolution ultrasound allows non-invasive assessment of mural changes in giant cells arteritis and could be a substitutive diagnostic tool for a temporal artery biopsy.

Silvera, S, Uzan-Augui, J, Fregeville, A, Mahr, A, Gouya, H, Vignaux, O, Guillevin, L, Legmann, P, et al, 0, High Resolution Ultrasound of Superficial Temporal Artery for Diagnosis of Giant Cells Arteritis  .  Radiological Society of North America 2009 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 29 - December 4, 2009 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2009/8011752.html