Nonurgent aortic disease: clinical-radiological diagnosis of aortitis

• Published in: Radiologia Vol. 55; no. 6; p. 469
• Main Authors: Cabero Moyano, J, Andreu Magarolas, M, Castañer González, E, Gallardo Cistaré, X, Belmonte Castan, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Spain 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Aortitis - diagnosis; Aortitis - diagnostic imaging; Diagnostic Imaging; Humans; Radiography; Resonancia magnética; Tomografía por emisión de positrones-tomografía computarizada; Tomografía computarizada multidetector; Vasculitis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Positron emission tomography-computed tomography; Aortitis; Multidetector computed tomography
• ISSN: 1578-178X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rx.2013.05.003

Aortitis is a pathological term designating inflammation of the aortic wall, regardless of its cause. The clinical presentation of aortitis is nonspecific and variable. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss; acute phase reactants may also be elevated. Aortitis can be caused by a wide spectrum of entities, including from infectious processes to autoimmune diseases (Takayasu arteritis and giant cell arteritis are among the most common of these causing aortitis), and the prognosis and treatment of these entities vary widely. Various imaging techniques can be used to evaluate the lumen and wall of the aorta (such as multidetector computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography, or PET-CT). This review focuses on the most common diseases that cause aortitis and on the clinical and radiological findings that are most useful for diagnosing and treating this condition appropriately.