Screening for Large Vessels Vasculitis in Patients with Acute Cerebrovascular ISCHEMIA

Abstract Background Systemic vasculitides are heterogeneous disabling diseases characterized by chronic inflammation of the blood vessels potentially leading to tissue destruction and organ failure, Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a granulomatous subtype of vasculitis involving large and medium-size arteries, both cranial and extra-cranial, Imaging techniques, both morphological and metabolic, are required to confirm the diagnosis of large-vessel vasculitis, Arterial duplex is a moderately sensitive but highly specific test for exclusion of temporal arteritis. Purpose The purpose of this study is Screening of large vessels vasculitis in patients with cerebrovascular Ischemia by arterial transcranial and peripheral duplex. Patient and Methods 100 patients with cerebrovascular ischemia were further categorized into 3 groups: Group A: Seventy-four (74 %) pt of acute cerebrovascular stroke diagnosed according to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Group B: Twenty-one (21%) pt with TIA diagnosed according to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Group C: Five (5%) pt with GCA diagnosed according to 2022 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR classification criteria for Giant cell arteritis. Results Screening for large vessels vasculitis in patients with cerebrovascular Ischemia we found that five patients (5%) had GCA 2% with ischemic stroke 3% with TIA. Conclusion Our study indicates a significantly increased risk of CVA among patients with GCA