AJR:194, March 2010

Imaging of Primary and Secondary Inflammatory Diseases Involving Large and Medium-Sized Vessels and Their Potential Mimics: A Multitechnique Approach

Daniel Spira, Ina Kotter, Ulrike Ernemann, Bernd Balletshofer, Christina A. Pfannenberg, Michael Fenchel, Marius Horger

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to illustrate multitechnique imaging findings in patients with primary and secondary vasculitides involving large and medium-sized vesŽsels and their mimics.

CONCLUSION. Large and medium-sized vessels are affected by many primary and secondary inflammatory disorders or mimicking conditions, often presenting similar imagŽing characteristics. Knowledge of distinctive imaging features such as location, length, and degree of vessel wall enhancement as well as the particular clinical settings will help the cliŽnician in appropriately narrowing down the differential diagnosis.