High-Resolution MRI in Giant Cell Arteritis: Imaging of the Wall of the Superficial Temporal Artery

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE. This study investigated the hypothesis that high-resolution MRI can reveal mural inflammatory changes of the superficial temporal artery in giant cell arteritis (GCA).SUBJECTS AND METHODS. MRI of the temporal artery of 20 patients with suspected GCA was performed on a 1.5-T scanner using a dedicated eight-element phased-array head coil. Contrast-enhanced multislice T1-weighted spin-echo sequences were acquired perpendicular to the orientation of the vessel, with a submillimeter spatial resolution of 0.2 × 0.3 mm and a slice thickness of 3 mm. Mural thickness and lumen diameter of the temporal artery were measured, and mural contrast enhancement was graded on a four-point scale by two radiologists. For all patients, the MRI results were compared with the findings of clinical examination and laboratory tests. In addition, biopsy samples of the temporal artery were taken from 16 of these patients.RESULTS. MRI sharply demonstrated the superficial temporal artery, allowing an evaluation of its lumen...