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Resumen Aortitis es un termino patologico que designa la inflamacion de la pared aortica, independientemente de su causa. Su presentacion clinica es inespecifica y variable, con sintomas como dolor abdominal, fiebre y perdida de peso. Tambien pueden estar elevados los reactantes de fase aguda. Un amplio espectro de entidades puede ocasionar aortitis, desde procesos infecciosos hasta enfermedades autoinmunes (de las que las mas frecuentes son la arteritis de Takayasu y la arteritis de celulas gigantes), cuyo pronostico y tratamiento son muy variables. Son varias las tecnicas de imagen que permiten evaluar tanto la luz como la pared vascular (como la tomografia computarizada multidetector, la resonancia magnetica, la angiografia o la PET-TC). Esta revision se centra en las enfermedades mas frecuentes que provocan aortitis y en los hallazgos clinicos y radiologicos mas relevantes que ayudan a diagnosticar y tratar adecuadamente esta entidad.

Aortitis is a pathological term designating inflammation of the aortic wall, regardless of its cause. The clinical presentation of aortitis is nonspecific and variable. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss; acute phase reactants may also be elevated. Aortitis can be caused by a wide spectrum of entities, including from infectious processes to autoimmune diseases (Takayasu arteritis and giant cell arteritis are among the most common of these causing aortitis), and the prognosis and treatment of these entities vary widely. Various imaging techniques can be used to evaluate the lumen and wall of the aorta (such as multidetector computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography, or PET-CT). This review focuses on the most common diseases that cause aortitis and on the clinical and radiological findings that are most useful for diagnosing and treating this condition appropriately.

Aortitis is a pathological term designating inflammation of the aortic wall, regardless of its cause. The clinical presentation of aortitis is nonspecific and variable. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss; acute phase reactants may also be elevated. Aortitis can be caused by a wide spectrum of entities, including from infectious processes to autoimmune diseases (Takayasu arteritis and giant cell arteritis are among the most common of these causing aortitis), and the prognosis and treatment of these entities vary widely. Various imaging techniques can be used to evaluate the lumen and wall of the aorta (such as multidetector computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography, or PET-CT). This review focuses on the most common diseases that cause aortitis and on the clinical and radiological findings that are most useful for diagnosing and treating this condition appropriately.