-Case Reports-

Utility of Ultrasonography in Assessing Periaortitis Associated with Retroperitoneal Fibrosis: A Case Report

Takashi Nawata^1,2, Yuko Ota¹, Mita Sakuraba¹, Mikito Suzuki¹, Takahisa Gono¹, Mitsuhiro Takeno¹ and Masataka Kuwana¹

¹Department of Allergy and Rheumatology, Nippon Medical School Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
²Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan

Periaortitis is a rare vascular manifestation and is often associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis. Herein, we describe a case of periaortitis accompanied by retroperitoneal fibrosis in a patient who developed acute kidney insufficiency due to bilateral ureteral stenosis. Ultrasonography at presentation detected thickness of the outer layer of the bilateral common iliac artery and right internal and external iliac arteries, consistent with periaortitis. Moreover, follow-up ultrasound images revealed subsiding of the thickness of the arterial wall in response to treatment with corticosteroids. Because of its noninvasiveness and handiness, ultrasonography has become popular for the assessment of large vessels in clinical practice, particularly monitoring for affected lesions. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography are currently used for the diagnosis and monitoring of periaortitis, but in this case, ultrasonography was utilized in the diagnosis and monitoring of periaortitis as a supportive imaging modality, as the use of contrast agents was contraindicated because of renal insufficiency.

J Nippon Med Sch 2022; 89: 612-615

Keywords
periaortitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, ultrasonography

Correspondence to
Yuko Ota, MD, PhD, Department of Allergy and Rheumatology, Nippon Medical School Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan
y-ota@nms.ac.jp

Received, June 11, 2020
Accepted, August 4, 2021