Abstract
A 26-year-old woman with Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) experienced back and neck pain during tocilizumab (TCZ) treatment. The levels of C-reactive protein were normal, and ultrasonography revealed no significant changes. Diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) showed signal enhancement in the walls of several arteries. Contrast computed tomography showed arterial inflammation in the same lesion. After increasing the dose of prednisolone and TCZ, all signal enhancements decreased and continued to decrease, as observed on days 76 and 132. Thus, DWIBS may be a novel imaging modality for assessing the disease activity of TAK, particularly during follow-up.
Keywords:
DWIBS; MRI; Takayasu's arteritis.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Anti-Inflammatory Agents / administration & dosage*
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Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / administration & dosage*
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Back Pain / etiology
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C-Reactive Protein / metabolism
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Carotid Artery, Common
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Carotid Stenosis / etiology
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Carotid Stenosis / pathology
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Computed Tomography Angiography
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Female
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Humans
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Infusions, Intravenous
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
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Multimodal Imaging
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Neck Pain / etiology
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Prednisolone / administration & dosage*
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Recurrence
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Subclavian Steal Syndrome / etiology
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Subclavian Steal Syndrome / pathology
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Takayasu Arteritis / drug therapy
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Takayasu Arteritis / pathology*
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Ultrasonography
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Whole Body Imaging / methods
Substances
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Anti-Inflammatory Agents
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Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
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C-Reactive Protein
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Prednisolone
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tocilizumab