Detection of increased arterial stiffness in a patient with early stage of large vessel vasculitis by measuring cardio-ankle vascular index

Abstract

Large vessel vasculitis leads to arterial wall thickening and stiffening because of chronic inflammatory changes. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is recently utilized for assessing arterial stiffening caused by atherosclerosis-related diseases, including hypertension and diabetes, as well as aging. CAVI is mathematically calculated from stiffness index beta, which is established as a parameter of arterial stiffness independent of blood pressure. However, there are no data regarding arterial stiffness assessed by CAVI for large vessel vasculitis. We describe a patient with large vessel vasculitis who showed aortic wall thickening and increased CAVI without hypertension. A 68-year-old woman presented at our hospital with recurrent fever of 2-month duration, fatigue, neck pain, and weight loss. The images of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) demonstrated significant 18FDG uptake (indicating increased metabolic activity and presence of inflammation) in the aorta and its major branches, including the carotid and subclavian arteries. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated wall thickening of the thoracic aorta. These imaging findings resulted in the diagnosis of large vessel vasculitis. The patient showed normal brachial blood pressure (right, 122/72 and left, 121/66 mmHg). However, CAVIs on both sides (right, 10.3 and left, 10.4) were elevated (normal value for her age, 9.1 ± 0.8). In conclusion, arterial stiffness in patients with large vessel vasculitis may be increased because of the arterial wall thickening and inflammatory changes. Thus, CAVI may be promising for detection of increased arterial stiffness in patients with large vessel vasculitis in the early stage, in which blood pressure is normal. © 2009 Tohoku University Medical Press.