OBJECTIVES: To describe the frequency and causes for the presence of a halo sign on the ultrasound of patients without a diagnosis of GCA. METHODS: In total, 305 patients with temporal artery colour Doppler ultrasound showing the presence of halo sign (intima-media thickness ≥0.34 mm for temporal arteries [TAs] and ≥1 mm for axillary arteries) were included, and their medical records were reviewed. The clinical diagnosis based on the evolution of the patient over at least one year was established as the definitive diagnosis. RESULTS: Fourteen of the 305 (4.6%) patients included showed presence of the halo sign without final diagnosis of GCA: 12 patients in the TAs (86%), and two patients with isolated AAs involvement (14%). Their diagnoses were PMR (n = 4, 29%); atherosclerosis (n = 3, 21%); and non-Hodgkin lymphoma type T, osteomyelitis of the skull base, primary amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, neurosyphilis, urinary sepsis and narrow-angle glaucoma (n = 1 each, 7%). CONCLUSION: The percentage of halo signs on the ultrasound of patients without GCA is low, but it does exist. There are conditions that may also show the halo sign (true positive halo sign), and we must know these and always correlate the ultrasound findings with the patient's clinic records.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the frequency and causes for the presence of a halo sign on the ultrasound of patients without a diagnosis of GCA. METHODS: In total, 305 patients with temporal artery colour Doppler ultrasound showing the presence of halo sign (intima-media thickness ≥0.34 mm for temporal arteries [TAs] and ≥1 mm for axillary arteries) were included, and their medical records were reviewed. The clinical diagnosis based on the evolution of the patient over at least one year was established as the definitive diagnosis. RESULTS: Fourteen of the 305 (4.6%) patients included showed presence of the halo sign without final diagnosis of GCA: 12 patients in the TAs (86%), and two patients with isolated AAs involvement (14%). Their diagnoses were PMR (n = 4, 29%); atherosclerosis (n = 3, 21%); and non-Hodgkin lymphoma type T, osteomyelitis of the skull base, primary amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, neurosyphilis, urinary sepsis and narrow-angle glaucoma (n = 1 each, 7%). CONCLUSION: The percentage of halo signs on the ultrasound of patients without GCA is low, but it does exist. There are conditions that may also show the halo sign (true positive halo sign), and we must know these and always correlate the ultrasound findings with the patient's clinic records.
Authors: Hélène Greigert; André Ramon; Georges Tarris; Laurent Martin; Bernard Bonnotte; Maxime Samson Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2022-01-05 Impact factor: 4.241
Authors: Katerine López-Gloria; Isabel Castrejón; Juan Carlos Nieto-González; Pablo Rodríguez-Merlos; Belén Serrano-Benavente; Carlos Manuel González; Indalecio Monteagudo Sáez; Teresa González; José María Álvaro-Gracia; Juan Molina-Collada Journal: Front Med (Lausanne) Date: 2022-08-26
Authors: Juan Molina-Collada; Katerine López Gloria; Isabel Castrejón; Juan Carlos Nieto-González; Julia Martínez-Barrio; Ana M Anzola Alfaro; Javier Rivera; José María Álvaro-Gracia Journal: Arthritis Res Ther Date: 2022-10-13 Impact factor: 5.606