Imaging key to diagnosing cardiovascular complications in IgG4-related disease

Imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosing cardiovascular involvement in immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD), particularly due to the condition’s varied presentations and the frequent occurrence of normal IgG4 levels, according to a study.

The study highlights that vasculopathy is the most common cardiovascular complication, predominantly affecting middle-aged men, emphasizing the need for comprehensive imaging assessments in suspected cases to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Researchers identified 68 relevant studies on imaging characteristics specifically associated with cardiovascular IgG4-RD, which included 120 cases of cardiovascular involvement. Key presenting symptoms included dyspnea and chest pain.

Vasculopathy was found to be the most frequent manifestation, characterized by vessel wall thickening, periarteritis, periaortitis, aortitis, stenosis, aneurysm formation, and more. Additional findings included pericardial involvement and mediastinal masses.

Reference
Jolfayi AG, Salmanipour A, Heshmat-Ghahdarijani K, et al. Imaging Findings in Cardiovascular Involvements of IgG4 Related Disease: A Systematic Review Study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2024;doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keae494. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39271148.