THU0292 EXTRACRANIAL VESSEL INVOLVEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH GIANT CELL ARTERITIS
Authors: Monica Calderón-Goercke, J. Loricera, D. Prieto-Peña, J. Narváez, Santos Castañeda, Elena Aurrecoechea, Ignacio Villa-Blanco, Catalina Gomez-Arango, Eva Perez-Pampín, Vicente Aldasoro, Noelia Alvarez-Rivas, Nagore Fernández-Llanio, María Álvarez del Buergo, Luisa Marena Rojas, Francisca Sivera, Eva Galindez, Roser Solans-Laqué, Susana Romero-Yuste, Norberto Ortego, Marcelino Revenga, Rafael Melero, Eva Salgado-Pérez, Sabela Fernández, Vanesa Calvo-Río, Natalia Palmou-Fontana, Jose Ignacio Banzo, Isabel Martínez-Rodríguez, Carmen González-Vela, Raquel Dos-Santos, J. Luis Hernández, Miguel A González-Gay, Ricardo Blanco
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2019)

<h3>Background</h3> Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large vessel vasculitis with a predisposition for the cranial branches of the external carotid artery. However, aorta and/or its main branches may also be involved. <h3>Objectives</h3> In a series of patients with GCA who presented extracranial vessel involvement, our aim was to assess <b>a)</b> the vascular territories most frequently affected and <b>b)</b> correlation of a major extension of extracranial vascular involvement with a more severe clinical and analytical features. <h3>Methods</h3> Multicenter study of 68 patients with GCA who presented a compromise of extracranial vessels confirmed by PET/CT. Visual analysis of vascular uptake was performed on supra-aortic trunks (SAT), aortic arch (AA), thoracic aorta (TA), abdominal aorta (AbA), iliac arteries (IA), lower limb arteries (LLA), and upper limb arteries (ULA). <h3>Results</h3> We evaluated 68 patients with GCA (51w/17m) with a mean age of 68.0±8.3 years. The vascular territories affected were: TA (n=58, 85.29%), SAT (n=38, 55.88%), AbA (n=28, 41.18%), AA (n=18, 26.47%), LLA (n=17, 25%), IA (n=13, 19.12%) and ULA (n=6, 8.82%). We considered 3 groups according to the number of vascular territories affected: a) 1 or 2 territories, b) 3 or 4 territories and c) 5 or more territories and made a comparative study between this groups. In patients with ≥5 vascular territories affected, we observed a higher baseline ESR, and the most frequent systemic manifestations were polymyalgia rheumatica and constitutional symptoms with statistical significance (<b>TABLE</b>). Distribution of categorical variables was compared by the Pearson Chi-squared test. Quantitative variables were analyzed using the ANOVA test. <h3>Conclusion</h3> In patients with GCA the involvement of TA is very frequent, followed by the SAT and the AbA. Regarding the laboratory findings, patients with higher levels of ESR presented a major extension of extracranial vascular involvement, as well as presenting PMR and/or constitutional symptoms was also related to more affection of extracranial territories. <h3>References</h3> [1] Loricera J, Blanco R, Hernaández JL, et al. Use of positron emission tomography (PET) for the diagnosis of large-vessel vasculitis. Rev Esp Med Nucl Imagen Mol. 2015; 34: 372-377. [2] Loricera J, Blanco R, Hernaández JL, et al. Non-infectious aortitis: a report of 32 cases from a single tertiary centre in a 4-year period and literature review. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2015; 33: S19-31. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> Monica Calderón-Goercke: None declared, J. Loricera: None declared, D. Prieto-Peña: None declared, J. Narváez Consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Santos Castañeda Consultant for: Amgen, BMS, Pfizer, Lilly, MSD, Roche, Sanofi, UCB, Elena Aurrecoechea: None declared, Ignacio Villa-Blanco: None declared, Catalina Gomez-Arango: None declared, Eva Perez-Pampín: None declared, Vicente Aldasoro: None declared, Noelia Alvarez-Rivas: None declared, Nagore Fernández-Llanio: None declared, María Álvarez del Buergo: None declared, Luisa Marena Rojas: None declared, Francisca Sivera: None declared, Eva Galindez: None declared, Roser Solans-Laqué: None declared, Susana Romero-Yuste: None declared, Norberto Ortego: None declared, Marcelino Revenga: None declared, Rafael Melero: None declared, Eva Salgado-Pérez: None declared, Sabela Fernández: None declared, Vanesa Calvo-Río: None declared, Natalia Palmou-Fontana: None declared, Jose Ignacio Banzo: None declared, Isabel Martínez-Rodríguez: None declared, Carmen González-Vela: None declared, Raquel Dos-Santos: None declared, J. Luis Hernández: None declared, Miguel A González-Gay Grant/research support from: Prof. MA Gonzalez-Gay received grants/research supports from Abbvie, MSD, Jansen and Roche., Speakers bureau: Consultation fees/participation in company sponsored speaker's bureau from Pfizer, Lilly, Sobi, Celgene, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi., Ricardo Blanco Grant/research support from: Abbvie, MSD, and Roche, Consultant for: Abbvie, Pfizer, Roche, Bristol-Myers, Janssen, Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Pfizer, Roche, Bristol-Myers, Janssen