The clinical application of 'edema-weighted' magnetic resonance imaging inthe assessment of Takayasu's arteritis

Takayasu's arteritis is an inflammatory process affecting medium to large a rteries. In about half of cases, constitutional symptoms and laboratory stu dies do not correlate with disease activity, confounding therapeutic decisi on making. We present six representative cases of Takayasu's arteritis in w hich new magnetic resonance imaging sequences for improved morphological an d tissue characterization were useful in identifying aortic wall thickening and acute inflammatory changes, respectively. Specifically, fast spin-echo sequences designed to enhance detection of vessel wall edema were included . This information proved useful in guiding clinical decision making, parti cularly in regard to initiation and monitoring of therapy in our patients. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.