Relapses in three patients with Takayasu arteritis under tocilizumab treatment detected by contrast enhanced ultrasound

Czihal, Michael; Lottspeich, Christian; Schroettle, Angelika; Treitl, Karla Maria; Treitl, Marcus; Leipe, Jan; Schulze-Koops, Hendrik; Hoffmann, Ulrich und Dechant, Claudia (2018): Relapses in three patients with Takayasu arteritis under tocilizumab treatment detected by contrast enhanced ultrasound. In: Vasa-European Journal of Vascular Medicine, Bd. 47, Nr. 2: S. 149-152

Abstract

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare large vessel vasculitis, affecting the aorta and its major branches, typically in young women. In this case report, we present three cases of young women of Caucasian descent who experienced relapses while under treatment with the monoclonal humanized antibody to the interleukin 6 receptor, tocilizumab. Active vasculitic lesions of the supraaortic (common carotid and axillary) arteries were detected and characterized via high resolution contrast enhanced ultrasound. Based on these cases, we discuss the potential role of contrast enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis and follow-up of TA as well as the current data on the effi cacy of tocilizumab in the treatment of TA.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 0301-1526
• Sprache: Englisch