Aortitis

Aortitis refers to a general descriptor that involves a broad category of infectious and non-infectious conditions where there is inflammation (i.e. vasculitis) of the aortic wall.

Clinical presentation

The presentation is non-specific with fever, pain and weight loss. 

Pathology 

Etiology

• infectious

  • syphilitic aortitis

  • tuberculous aortitis

  • pyogenic aortitis: especially Salmonella infection

  • aortitis due to HIV

  • infected (mycotic) aortic aneurysm

• non-infectious

  • giant cell arteritis ⁶

  • Takayasu arteritis

  • other rheumatologic disorders

    • rheumatoid arthritis

    • systemic lupus erythematosus

    • granulomatosis with polyangiitis

    • Behçet disease

    • polyarteritis nodosa

    • microscopic polyangiitis

    • HLA-B27–associated seronegative spondyloarthropathies

      • reactive arthritis

      • ankylosing spondylitis

  • Cogan syndrome

  • chronic periaortitis

  • idiopathic aortitis

  • radiation-induced aortitis

  • IgG4-related cardiovascular disease