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Feasibility study: 7 T MRI in giant cell arteritis

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Abstract

Objectives

To assess the detectability of vasculitic changes of the superficial cranial arteries with contrast-enhanced 7 T MRI in three patients with GCA and intraindividual comparison with 3 T MRI.

Methods

Three patients (two female, one male) with suspected GCA underwent contrast-enhanced T1-weighted high-resolution MRI at 3 T and 7 T magnetic field strength. The clinical diagnosis, based on criteria of the American College of Rheumatology, was confirmed by biopsy of the superficial temporal artery after MRI. MR images were visually assessed for detection of vasculitic mural contrast enhancement and vessel wall thickening of the superficial cranial arteries.

Results

Both 3 T and 7 T MRI allows for visualisation of mural inflammatory changes and assessment of the vasculitic involvement pattern. Image quality of 7 T MRI was rated superior to image quality of 3 T MRI scans.

Conclusions

7 T MR imaging of vasculitic changes in patients with GCA is possible, and suggests superior image quality. Larger patient studies are necessary to quantify the diagnostic advantages of 7 T MRI.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Visual Processing Laboratory, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany

    Christina Goll, Wolfram Hofmüller, Wolfgang Behrens-Baumann & Michael B. Hoffmann

  2. Department of Radiology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

    Markus Thormann & Björn Friebe

  3. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Thorsten A. Bley

  4. Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany

    Michael B. Hoffmann & Oliver Speck

  5. Department Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Experimental Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

    Oliver Speck

  6. Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany

    Oliver Speck

Authors
  1. Christina Goll
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  2. Markus Thormann
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  3. Wolfram Hofmüller
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  4. Björn Friebe
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  5. Wolfgang Behrens-Baumann
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  6. Thorsten A. Bley
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  7. Michael B. Hoffmann
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  8. Oliver Speck
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael B. Hoffmann.

Ethics declarations

Funding

Dr. Bley receives ongoing research support from the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG” for MRI research.

Conflict of interest

Dr. Bley had past consulting activities for HeartFlow, GSK, and MSD, and received past payments for lectures from Bayer, Bracco, HeartFlow, Guerbet, and Siemens. Beyond this, all authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge, or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Goll, C., Thormann, M., Hofmüller, W. et al. Feasibility study: 7 T MRI in giant cell arteritis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 254, 1111–1116 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-016-3337-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-016-3337-7

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