Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography in large-vessel vasculitides.

The role of imaging in diagnosis and monitoring of vasculitides has steadily become more important during the last years. As a result of the technological progress, its low invasiveness and its relatively good diagnostic reliability, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) are increasingly used in the assessment of vasculitic changes of extra- and intra-cranial arteries. The aim of this review is to outline the significance of different imaging modalities, particularly the significance of MRI/MRA, in the context of large-vessel vasculitides, especially in regard to the first EULAR (The European League Against Rheumatism)-recommendations on the role of imaging in the process of diagnosis and monitoring of patients with suspected large-vessel vasculitides. Furthermore, some typical imaging findings as well as the basics of MRI technique are to be presented.