Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance for Evaluation of Heart Involvement in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: A Luxury or a Valuable Diagnostic Tool?

Abstract

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-related vasculitis is a systemic small-vessel vasculitis, including 3 clinical syndromes: granulomatosis with polyangiitis, known as Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and the Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS). ANCA-related vasculitis usually presents with severe kidney or pulmonary disease, has a mortality of 28% at 5 years, and also contributes to increased morbidity in vasculitis patients. Cardiac involvement in this entity may have different forms, including coronary vessels, pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, myocardial infarction and subendocardial vasculitis that can contribute to reduced life expectancy. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance using oedema and fibrosis imaging can early reveal, noninvasively and without radiation, heart involvement during vasculitis, undetected by other imaging techniques and guide further risk stratification and treatment of these patients.