Does the halo count on temporal and axillary ultrasound predict time to relapse in giant cell arteritis?
Diogo Esperança AlmeidaKate SmithBorsha A SarkerAndrew BarrRichard J WakefieldSarah Louise MackiePublished in: Rheumatology (Oxford, England) (2023)
In this real-world setting, relapse occurred at a wide range of glucocorticoid doses and was not predicted by axillary artery involvement. GCA patients with a higher HC at diagnosis were significantly more likely to relapse, but significance was lost on excluding those with HC of zero. HC is feasible in routine care and may be worth incorporating into future prognostic scores. Further research is required to determine whether confirmed GCA patients with negative TAUS represent a qualitatively different subphenotype within the GCA disease spectrum.