Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis

W.A. Schmidt

Medical Centre for Rheumatology Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany.

ABSTRACT
Ultrasonography of the temporal arteries detects characteristic signs of vasculitis with a high sensitivity and specificity: a hypoechoic halo due to an oedema of the artery wall and stenoses. The use of modern scanners with high resolution is essential. A halo has to be displayed in two planes. It is always circumferential. The colour intensity must not be too strong, otherwise the colour may cover the halo. A hypoechoic halo is also seen in large vessel giant cell arteritis at the axillary and brachial arteries and at the temporal arteries in polyarteritis nodosa.

Key words
Polymyalgia rheumatica, temporal arteritis, polyarteritis nodosa, ultrasonography, colour Doppler ultrasonography.

Please address correspondence and reprint requests to: Wolfgang A. Schmidt, MD, Medical Centre for Rheumatology Berlin-Buch, Zepernicker Strasse 1, 13125 Berlin, Germany.
E-mail: schmidt.wa@t-online.de

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000; 18 (Suppl. 29): S40-S42.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2000.