Damage to extracranial arteries in giant cell arteritis according to PET/CT

The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of arterial lesions of various localizations in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) according to positron emission and computed tomography (PET/CT) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG).Methods. Patients over 50 years of age diagnosed with GCA (with or without polymyalgia rheumatica) were included in a retrospective study. Damage to extracranial arteries was assessed based on the accumulation of 18F-FDG in the walls of large vessels according to PET/CT data.Results. The study included 47 patients, 14 (30%) men and 33 (70%) women, with a median age of 65 [57; 68] years. In 32 (68%) patients, 18F-FDG-PET/CT was performed before the start of therapy with glucocorticosteroids (GCS), in 15 (32%) after the start of treatment. In 40 (91%) patients, signs of damage to extracranial vessels of various localization were revealed, most often in the thoracic and abdominal aorta (72% and 64%, respectively).Conclusions. According to 18F-FDG-PET/CT data, in most patients with GCA, not only the arteries of the head and neck, but also vessels of other localization are involved in the pathological process.