In large-vessel vasculitis, imaging studies are useful to document temporal artery involvement and crucial to show large-vessel involvement. Color Doppler sonography, magnetic resonance, and computed tomography show early vasculitic lesions. Angiography delineates later vascular complications well. Color Doppler sonography, magnetic resonance angiography, and computed tomography angiography can also be used to show vascular luminal changes. Positron emission tomography is very sensitive in detecting large-vessel inflammation. Imaging procedures can also be used to monitor the course of large-vessel vasculitis. In medium-vessel vasculitis, imaging studies can be used to show both vascular changes and internal organ changes.
Key points
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In large-vessel vasculitis, imaging studies are useful to document temporal artery involvement and crucial to demonstrate large-vessel involvement.
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Color Doppler sonography, magnetic resonance, and computed tomography are able to show early vasculitic lesions, characterized by inflammatory vessel wall alterations with initial sparing of the vessel lumen.
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In contrast, angiography delineates well later vascular complications such as stenoses, occlusions, and aneurysms, but cannot show early vasculitic lesions such as vessel wall alterations.
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Positron emission tomography is very sensitive in detecting large-vessel inflammation, but cannot delineate the anatomic details of the vessels involved.
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Imaging techniques are useful in the work-up of large-vessel and medium-vessel vasculitis.
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