Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39804420›Full record

ArticleRheumatology international2025

Isolated inflammatory involvement of the occipital artery in giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: findings from a retrospective analysis and the critical role of MRI in diagnosis.

Konstanze V Guggenberger, Lukas Riedling, Daria Kern, Rudolf A Werner, Marius L Vogt, Matthias Fröhlich, Marc Schmalzing, Mirko Pham, Thorsten A Bley

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Rheumatology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Konstanze V GuggenbergerDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany. Guggenberg_k@ukw.de.ORCID 0000-0002-4840-0447
Lukas RiedlingDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.
Daria KernDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.
Rudolf A WernerDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3372-6046
Marius L VogtDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.
Matthias FröhlichDepartment of Internal Medicine II, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-7745-3903
Marc SchmalzingDepartment of Internal Medicine II, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3289-2299
Mirko PhamDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1295-2685
Thorsten A BleyDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9311-7985

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) and Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) may be challenging as many patients present with non-specific symptoms. Superficial cranial arteries are predilection sites of inflammatory affection. Ultrasound is typically the diagnostic tool of first choice supplementary to clinical and laboratory examination. Inflammation of temporal arteries can be detected sonographically with high reliability. However, due to the vessel's course and location, occipital arteries evade sonographic detectability.

objectiveThe aim of our study was to evaluate the infestation pattern of superficial cranial arteries in GCA and PMR patients with special focus on the occipital arteries.

methods90 treatment-naïve patients with clinically and/or histologically proven GCA and/or PMR (51 GCA, 20 PMR, 10 GCA-PMR) were included in the study. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced, fat-suppressed, high-resolution black blood 2D T1-weighted spin echo imaging at 3T MRI. Images were read by three different readers independently. Temporal and occipital arteries were assessed regarding vasculitic affection. Circumferential mural hyperenhancement and thickening of the vessel wall ≥ 600 μm was considered positive for vasculitis.

results9/90 (10%) of all patients revealed inflammatory changes of the occipital artery only. Prevalence of isolated inflammatory affection of occipital artery was even higher in the GCA subgroup with 7/51 (14%) patients.

conclusion14% of GCA patients and 10% of GCA-PMR patients present with signs of inflammation of the occipital artery only. Since the occipital artery is not accessible to routine ultrasound examination, MRI renders incremental value in the diagnosis of GCA and PMR patients.

Indexed as

Giant Cell ArteritisMagnetic Resonance ImagingPolymyalgia RheumaticaTemporal ArteriesAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPredictive Value of TestsRetrospective StudiesGiant cell arteritisMagnetic resonance imagingPolymyalgia RheumaticaTemporal arteritisVasculitis

Identifiers

PMID39804420
PMCPMC11729197

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.