CNS VASCULITIS DIAGNOSIS

Abstract

Angiitis of the CNS (ACNS) is a heterogeneous group of rare diseases that affect any age group and usually carry a grave prognosis. The severity of the disease along with the paucity of pathognomonic findings in non-invasive investigations, occasionally dictate invasive techniques such as brain arteriography or biopsy. Brain biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis. However, in most cases ACNS diagnosis remains a challenge to clinicians and may be based on a combination of clinical, imaging and other laboratory investigations. The present review aims to systematically assess the available diagnostic investigations as well as the differential diagnosis of this uncommon disorder.