IgG4-related disease associated with renal microaneurysms and polycythaemia

[Raynaud phenomenon with arterial thromboses and IgG4-related disease]

INTRODUCTION

This is a clinical case illustrating a diagnosis of an IgG4 related-disease (IgG4-RD) diagnosed in a vascular context.

CASE REPORT

A 47-year-old man with no past medical history consulted for a recent and disabling Raynaud phenomenon without trophic disorder. Vascular examinations revealed multiple arterial thromboses with no abnormal finger and toe pressures. Secondly, weight loss and submandibular glands enlargement appeared, leading to the diagnosis of IgG4-RD without a link being able to be established with vascular involvement. This is the second observation of this association. A French translation of the new classification criteria for IgG4-RD published in 2019 by the American College of Rheumatology and European Ligue Against Rhumatism (ACR/EULAR) is offered with direct application to the clinical case.

CONCLUSION

A Raynaud phenomenon with distal arterial thrombosis is rarely observed in the IgG4-RD.

Multimodalities Imaging of Immunoglobulin 4-related Cardiovascular Disorders

Immunoglobulin 4 (IgG4)-related systemic disease (IgG4-RSD) is a systemic inflammatory disease characterized by elevation of serum IgG4. IgG4-RSD can affect any organ in the body, and the list of organs associated with this condition is growing steadily. IgG4-related cardiovascular disease affects the coronary arteries, heart valves, myocardium, pericardium, aorta, pulmonary and peripheral vessels. Echocardiography is the most commonly used non-invasive imaging method. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) can assess aortitis, periarteritis and coronary aneurysms. Coronary CTA is fast, offers high spatial resolution and a wide coverage field of view. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) offers a comprehensive evaluation of the cardiovascular system including cardiac function, extent of myocardial fibrosis, characterise cardiac masses with different pulse sequences and guide to further treatment. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) can provide important information about the extent of disease, the presence of active inflammation and the optimum biopsy site. In general, the role of diagnostic imaging includes establishing the diagnosis, detecting complications, guiding biopsy and documenting response to therapy.