Diagnosis and screening

Measuring erythrocyte sedimentation rate, angiopoietin-2/-1 ratio, and matrix metalloprotease-3 levels may help discriminate patients with isolated polymyalgia rheumatica from those with concomitant giant cell arteritis, research suggests.

An international group of experts has developed and validated classification criteria for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, GPA, and microscopic polyangiitis.

There was a “large rise” in the number of people being diagnosed with giant cell arteritis during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with an increase in the proportion of patients with associated visual impairment, UK researchers report.

The authors of a systematic review and meta-analysis have identified a number of clinical and laboratory features that should be assessed when investigating patients with suspected giant cell arteritis.

The British Society for Rheumatology has issued updated guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of giant cell arteritis.

Vascular ultrasound could be a contender as a first-line imaging test for diagnosing large vessel giant cell arteritis, suggests research.

Imaging with a combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography scanner shows good accuracy for diagnosing giant cell arteritis versus the gold-standard temporal artery biopsy.