A Case of Idiopathic Aortitis Mimicking Severe Aortic Stenosis

IgG4-related aortitis mimicking intramural hematoma

Acute aortic syndromes (AAS) are life-threatening conditions, and despite advances in imaging techniques, their diagnosis and treatment remain challenging. While intramural hematoma is much less common than acute aortic dissection (AD), which is the most common form of AAS, they have similar mortality rates (1). On the other hand, aortitis may mimic intramural hematoma (IMH) due to radiologic s...

Aortitis is a general term for a spectrum of disorders

characterized by infl ammation of the aortic wall. A variety of infectious and non-infectious diseases can be complicated by aortitis; in addition, isolated idiopathic aortitis – usually involving the thoracic aorta – has also been described. In the previous issue of Arthritis Research & Th erapy, Schmidt and colleagues report on the prevalence and predictors of biopsy-proven aortitis in a 12-y...

Idiopathic aortitis: an underrecognized vasculitis

Aortitis is a general term denoting inflammation of the aortic wall. Various infectious and non-infectious diseases can be complicated by aortitis; in addition, isolated idiopathic aortitis has also been described. In a 12-year nationwide Danish population-based study, the prevalence of aortitis among 1,210 resected thoracic aorta samples was 6.1%, with nearly three-quarters of cases being idio...

Aortic valve replacement for severe aortic regurgitation caused by idiopathic giant cell aortitis.

Giant cell aoritis occurred in a 25-year-old woman, with absent pulses in the left arm and severe aortic regurgitation from dilatation of the valvar annulus. The aortic valve was replaced by a Starr-Edwards prosthesis, and the patient was treated with steroids. Five years later, she continues asymptomatic and haemodynamically stable. The left brachial and radial pulses have returned.

Luetic aortitis causing severe left main ostial stenosis.