The use of ultrasound to assess giant cell arteritis: review of the current evidence and practical guide for the rheumatologist

Colour duplex sonography (CDS) of temporal arteries and large vessels is an emerging diagnostic tool for GCA. CDS can detect wall oedema, known as a halo, throughout the length of the vessel and shows higher sensitivity compared with biopsy. Specificity reaches 100% in case of bilateral halos. A positive compression sign has been demonstrated to be a robust marker with excellent inter-observer agreement. The assessment of other large vessels,...