All patients with pheochromocytomas should be screened for MEN-2 and von Hippel-Lindau disease to avert further morbidity and mortality in the patients and their families. All patients in families with MEN-2 or von Hippel-Lindau disease should be screened for pheochromocytoma, even if they are asymptomatic.

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High-resolution contrast-enhanced MRI of the temporal artery allowed visualization of the temporal artery and evaluation of possible inflammation of the vessel wall. Our initial results with this noninvasive technique agreed well with histologic results and with the clinical criteria of the American College of Rheumatology.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Clinical indications of giant cell arteritis may be unspecific, and noninvasive diagnosis is often difficult. This study investigated the hypothesis that high-resolution MR imaging of the superficial cranial arteries is a noninvasive imaging technique that can detect the occurrence of giant cell arteritis.

Objective. To noninvasively determine the involvement pattern of the cranial arteries in giant cell arteritis (GCA), with high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods. The superficial cranial arteries of 21 patients with suspected GCA were examined using a 3T high-field MRI scanner. Postcontrast T1-weighted spinecho images were acquired with submillimeter spatial resolution, to assess mural thickness and lumen diameter of the major cranial arteries on both sides of the head. In all cases, MRI results were compared with findings of clinical examination and laboratory tests. In addition, temporal artery biopsy specimens from 10 patients were examined by histology.Results. MRI sharply revealed all of the major superficial cranial arteries, allowing for an evaluation of their lumen and vessel wall. Nine of the 21 patients were diagnosed as having GCA according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. In all of these patients with clinically diagnosed GCA, multiple cranial arteries showed signs of inflammation on MRI. In 1 patient, the occipital arteries were inflamed, while the temporal arteries were spared.Conclusion. Postcontrast high-resolution MRI visualizes the major cranial arteries on both sides of the head within a single examination. The cranial involvement pattern in GCA can be assessed precisely and noninvasively. In the majority of GCA patients, several cranial arteries were affected simultaneously, with a predominance of involvement of the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery. Inflammation of the occipital arteries, with sparing of the temporal arteries, was also encountered.