Aortitis – das Chamäleon der Kardiologie

Abstract

Aortitis is defined as an inflammatory process that involves one or more layers of the aortic wall and can be caused by multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms. The most common causes are large-vessel vasculitides, but it may also be associated with several other rheumatologic diseases and infective agents. The individual etiology of aortitis is important because immunosuppressive therapy, the main treatment for vasculitis, could aggravate an active infectious process. Because the clinical presentation is highly variable, the clinician must have a high level of suspicion to establish an accurate diagnosis of this disorder in a timely fashion. Herein, we review pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach and therapy of aortitis.

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