INFLAMMATORY ABDOMINAL AORTITIS AS AN UNU SUAL MANIFESTATION OF GIANT-CELL ARTERITIS

We report an original case of giant cell arteritis, revealed by abdomi nal aortic arteritis on CT-scan, which was performed because the patie nt presented with a biological inflammatory syndrome. Course was favor able with steroid therapy. CT-scan, one month later, demonstrated a st able appearance of both regular and concentric thickening of the abdom inal aortic wall. Aortic involvement is rare and occurs late in the co urse of giant cell arteritis. Usually clinical and biological manifest ations of aortitis associated with giant cell arteritis either absent or non specific, leading to diagnostic difficulties. Furthermore, aort ic giant cell arteritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. G ravity of aortic impairment is mainly linked to the risk of developmen t of aneurysm and/or acute dissection. A search for aortic involvement should therefore routinely be carried out, once a year, in patients w ith giant cell arteritis, particularly a complete vascular clinical ex amination and a chest X-ray. Finally, our case report suggests that no n invasive methods, notably CT-scan, may serve as a helpful test in di agnosis and follow-up of aortic giant cell arteritis.