Table 2.

Comparison of clinical variables between patients with giant cell arteritis and new arterial lesions on follow-up imaging and those without any new lesions

Variable	New lesions (n = 41)	No new lesions (n = 65)	p Value
Mean (±SD) age, years	68 (7.9)	68 (6.8)	1.00
Mean (±SD) disease duration, weeks	72 (107)	71 (95)	0.960
Median (25th, 75th) disease duration, weeks	31 (4.2, 113.9)	26 (6, 100)	0.72
Disease duration ≤1 year, number	27 (65%)	41 (63%)	0.837
Mean (±SD) duration of follow-up, years	4.0 (2)	4.6 (2.3)	0.172
Female sex, number	34 (82%)	56 (86%)	0.782
Positive temporal artery biopsy, number	15/19 (78%)	27/40 (68%)	0.540
Median (25th, 75th) number studies	6 (4, 10)	3 (2, 5)	<0.010
Any lesion at first imaging, number	41 (100%)	47 (72%)	<0.001
Diagnosis of giant cell arteritis by large-vessel imaging, number	30 (73%)	26 (40%)	0.001
Type of study for aorta and branches
CT angiography	36 (22%)	27 (19%)
MR angiography	124 (76%)	112 (81%)
Any disease activity	14 (34%)	29 (45%)	0.316
Aspirin use at last follow-up	25 (61%)	31 (48%)	0.232
Prednisone use at last follow-up	33 (80%)	34 (52%)	0.004
Azathioprine use at last follow-up	2 (5%)	2 (3%)	0.640
Methotrexate use at last follow-up	10 (24%)	12 (18%)	0.472

SD: standard deviation; CT: computerized tomography; MR: magnetic resonance.

p Value: p-value of difference between “New lesions” and “No new lesions”.