FDG positron emission tomography of giant cell arteritis with polymyalgia rheumatica

An 80-year-old woman presented with low-grade fever, weight loss and shoulder ache persistent over 6 months. She had developed headache with scalp allodynia, though these had improved spontaneously within 2 months. Physical examination revealed an absent temporal artery pulse and decreased range of active shoulder motion. Laboratory findings showed a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (73 mm/h). Temporal artery ultrasonography revealed no halo sign, stenosis or occlusion. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) showed increased uptake in the thoracic aorta and carotid …