The enigmatic immunoglobulin G4-related disease and its varied cardiovascular manifestations

Heart ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. heartjnl-2020-318041
Author(s):  
Aamina Shakir ◽  
Yurong Wheeler ◽  
Guha Krishnaswamy

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic fibroinflammatory disease characterised by multiorgan lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, obliterative phlebitis and storiform fibrosis. It can be associated with cardiovascular pathology. The objective of this narrative review is to summarise the published literature on cardiovascular manifestations of IgG4-RD and to provide a basis for diagnosis and management of the condition by the practising cardiologist.We propose the following categorisations of cardiovascular IgG4-RD: aortitis, medium-vessel arteritis, pulmonary vascular disease, phlebitis, valvulopathy, pericarditis, myocardial disease and antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis. We also review herein developments in radiological diagnosis and reported medical and surgical therapies. Cardiovascular lesions frequently require procedural and/or surgical interventions, such as aortic aneurysm repair and valve replacement. IgG4-RD of the cardiovascular system results in serious complications that can be missed if not evaluated aggressively. These are likely underdiagnosed, as clinical presentations frequently mimic cardiovascular disease due to more common aetiologies (myocardial infarction, abdominal aortic aneurysm and so on). While systemic corticosteroids are the mainstay of IgG4-RD treatment, biological and disease-modifying agents are becoming more widely used. Cardiologists should be aware of cardiovascular IgG4-RD as a differential diagnosis, and understand the roles of corticosteroids, disease-modifying agents and biologicals, as well as their integration with surgical approaches. There are several knowledge gaps, including diagnosis, risk factors, pathogenesis and appropriate management in Ig4-RD of the cardiovascular system. Areas lacking well-conducted randomized trials include safety of steroids in the setting of vascular aneurysms and the role of disease-modifying drugs and biological agents in patients with established cardiovascular complications of this multifaceted enigmatic disease.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (02) ◽  
pp. 202-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Casal Moura ◽  
Ria Gripaldo ◽  
Misbah Baqir ◽  
Jay H. Ryu

AbstractImmunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic fibroinflammatory disorder that has been recognized to involve virtually any organ in the body and typically manifests mass-like lesions (tumefactive). Although initial reports of this disease (autoimmune pancreatitis [AIP]) were described in the Japanese population, it has since been reported worldwide. It is most commonly seen in adults of middle age or older, more often men than women. The pathogenesis of IgG4-RD is largely unknown, but genetic factors, microorganisms, and autoimmunity are thought to play important roles. Serum IgG4 concentration is elevated in the majority of patients with IgG4-RD but is a nonspecific finding. Characteristic histopathologic features include dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, fibrosis (often in storiform pattern), and obliterative phlebitis. Lung involvement in IgG4-RD was first reported in 2004 in two patients with AIP and coexisting interstitial lung disease. Since then, a wide spectrum of intrathoracic involvement has been reported and includes not only parenchymal lung diseases but also pleural, airway, vascular, and mediastinal lesions. Thoracic involvement in IgG4-RD is often found incidentally during the workup of extrathoracic lesions but can sometimes be the presenting abnormality. The diagnosis of IgG4-RD requires correlation of clinical, laboratory, imaging, and histopathologic features. Glucocorticoids are the first-line therapy but other options including B cell depletion are being investigated. IgG4-RD is generally associated with an indolent clinical course and most patients improve with glucocorticoid therapy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
pp. 742-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikram Deshpande

Context Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)–related disease is a systemic fibroinflammatory disease capable of affecting virtually any organ. Although the pancreas and hepatobiliary system are commonly affected, involvement of the tubular gut is unusual. The pancreatic manifestations of this disease (autoimmune pancreatitis) often mimic pancreatic carcinoma, whereas the hepatobiliary manifestations are mistaken for cholangiocarcinoma or primary sclerosing cholangitis. The characteristic histologic features include a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, storiform-type fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. An increase in IgG4+ plasma cells and an IgG4 to IgG ratio of more than 40% are considered obligatory components of the diagnostic algorithm. Objective To review the challenges associated with the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Data Sources A review of pertinent literature, along with the author's personal experience, based on institutional and consultation materials. Conclusion The complete spectrum of histologic changes is seldom captured in a biopsy specimen, and thus, the histopathology findings are best interpreted within the overall clinical context. Increased IgG4+ plasma cells are identified in a variety of benign and malignant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle M. Williams ◽  
Hazem Mashaly ◽  
Vinay K. Puduvalli ◽  
Ming Jin ◽  
Ehud Mendel

The authors report a case of immunoglobulin G4–related disease (IgG4-RD) presenting as a paraspinal, epidural mass. This disease encompasses a host of autoimmune conditions that were previously thought to be separate entities. It is characterized by fibrosis, mediated by the aberrant proliferation and tissue invasion of IgG4-positive plasma cells, which can occur in any organ. As with other autoimmune conditions, it tends to be responsive to steroids and other immunosuppressants. It can rarely present as a tumefactive lesion of the central nervous system, creating the potential for misdiagnosis (given its similar radiological appearance to malignancy) and mistreatment. In 2015, a panel of experts convened to set forth guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of IgG4-RD. In the case presented here, the patient initially presented with pain and weakness in the left upper extremity. Initial neuroimages revealed a contrast-enhancing mass extending from C-4 to T-1, invading the epidural spinal canal, encasing the exiting nerve roots, infiltrating the paraspinal musculature, and surrounding the left vertebral artery. A PET scan confirmed the mass was hypermetabolic, but results of fine-needle aspiration and CT-guided biopsy were inconclusive. Open biopsy yielded fibrotic tissue that met the pathological criteria for IgG4-RD: lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, fibrosis in a storiform pattern, and obliterative phlebitis. The patient was treated with 2 doses of 4 mg of dexamethasone (Decadron) and then 50 mg of prednisone per day. Within 2 weeks, the mass was radiologically shown to have drastically decreased in size. The prednisone dose was decreased to 40 mg per day, and 100 mg of azathioprine per day was added. The patient continued to improve and the mass continued to decrease over the next 6 months. Currently, she has been weaned from all steroids and will be maintained on a daily dose of 100 mg of azathioprine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-466
Author(s):  
Sawangpong Jandee ◽  
Pattira Boonsri

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a fibroinflammatory condition that becomes more recognized as multi-systemic disorders, characterized by three histological hallmarks of IgG4-positive lymphoplasmacytic tissue infiltrate, storiform fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. This disease has been reported in virtually every organ system, but the hepatic manifestations remain poorly defined. Moreover, IgG4-RD can mimic many malignancies, inflammatory disorders and infectious diseases. This report revealed IgG4-related liver disease with atypical presentation presenting with multiple liver abscesses and linear tracts mimicking parasitic infection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 94-98
Author(s):  
T. P. Afra ◽  
Muhammed Razmi T ◽  
N. A. Bishurul Hafi

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an increasingly recognized syndrome which shares similar pathologic, serologic, and clinical features in the affected organs. Subacute development of a mass or diffuse enlargement of the organ is a common presenting feature. It is more commonly seen in middle-aged or older men. Lymphadenopathy is common in them. Tissue infiltration with lymphoplasmacytic collection, predominantly of IgG4-positive plasma cells, accompanied by “storiform” pattern of fibrosis, obliterative phlebitis, and increased tissue eosinophils are the hallmark histologic findings. Rapid response to systemic steroids is characteristic. If present, the typical cutaneous findings such as papulonodules or plaques in the head-and-neck region may serve as an initial clue to the underlying systemic involvement in IgG4-RD. Hence, dermatologists need to be aware of this entity for early recognition of underlying organ involvement and thus the prompt management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. e195-e197
Author(s):  
Vankadari Kousik ◽  
Rajender Kumar ◽  
Bhagwant Rai Mittal ◽  
Divya Aggarwal ◽  
Ashutosh Nath Aggarwal

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2425
Author(s):  
Wei-Hsin Yuan ◽  
Anna Fen-Yau Li ◽  
Shu-Yi Yu ◽  
Ying-Yuan Chen ◽  
Chia-Hung Wu ◽  
...  

Background: Benign immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related orbital disease (IgG4-ROD)—characterized as tumors mimicking malignant orbital lymphoma (OL)—responds well to steroids, instead of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgery of OL. The objective of this study was to report the differences in computed tomography (CT) features and- serum IgG4 levels of IgG4-ROD and OL. Methods: This study retrieved records for patients with OL and IgG4-ROD from a pathology database during an eight-year-and-five-month period. We assessed the differences between 16 OL patients with 27 lesions and nine IgG4-ROD patients with 20 lesions according to prebiopsy CT features of lesions and prebiopsy serum IgG4 levels and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels This study also established the receiver-operating curves (ROC) of precontrast and postcontrast CT Hounsfield unit scales (CTHU), serum IgG4 levels, serum IgG levels and their ratios. Results: Significantly related to IgG4-ROD (all p < 0.05) were the presence of lesions with regular borders, presence of multiple lesions—involving both lacrimal glands on CT scans—higher median values of postcontrast CTHU, postcontrast CTHU/precontrast CTHU ratios, serum IgG4 levels and serum IgG4/IgG level ratios. Compared to postcontrast CTHU, serum IgG4 levels had a larger area under the ROC curve (0.847 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.674–1.000, p = 0.005] vs. 0.766 [95% CI: 0.615–0.917, p = 0.002]), higher sensitivity (0.889 [95% CI: 0.518–0.997] vs. 0.75 [95% CI: 0.509–0.913]), higher specificity (0.813 [95% CI: 0.544–0.960] vs. 0.778 [95% CI: 0.578–0.914]) and a higher cutoff value (≥132.5 mg/dL [milligrams per deciliter] vs. ≥89.5). Conclusions: IgG4-ROD showed distinct CT features and elevated serum IgG4 (≥132.5 mg/dL), which could help distinguish IgG4-ROD from OL.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanying Liu ◽  
Fei Yang ◽  
Xiying Chi ◽  
Yuxin Zhang ◽  
Jiangnan Fu ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The growing utilization of needle biopsy has challenged the current pathology consensus of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). The aims of this study were to identify the histological characteristics of needle biopsy and surgical specimens and evaluate the ability of needle biopsy in histological diagnosis of IgG4-RD. Methods Biopsies from patients who were referred to as IgG4-RD by the 2019 ACR/EULAR IgG4-RD classification criteria in Peking University People’s Hospital from 2012 to 2019 were re-evaluated. Typical histological features and diagnostic categories were compared between needle biopsy and surgical biopsy. Results In total, 69 patients met the 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria and 72 biopsies of them were re-evaluated. All cases showed lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, while storiform fibrosis and obliterative phlebitis were only present in 35 (48.6%) and 23 (31.9%) specimens, respectively. Storiform fibrosis was more likely to be seen in retroperitoneum lesion (P = 0.033). Surgical biopsy showed significantly higher IgG4+ plasma cells/high-power field (IgG4/HPF) count (P < 0.01) and higher proportion of IgG4/HPF > 10 (P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed with regard to the ratio of IgG4+ plasma cells/IgG+ plasma cells (IgG4/IgG) (P = 0.399), storiform fibrosis (P = 0.739), and obliterative phletibis (P = 0.153). According to the 2011 comprehensive diagnostic criteria, patients who performed a needle biopsy were less likely to be probable IgG4-RD (P = 0.045). Based on the 2011 pathology consensus, needle biopsy was less likely to be diagnosed as IgG4-RD (P < 0.01), especially to be highly suggestive IgG4-RD (P < 0.01). Only 1/18 (5.6%) needle salivary specimens fulfilled the cutoff of IgG4/HPF > 100, which was significantly less than 15/23 (65.2%) of surgical ones (P < 0.01). Conclusions Needle biopsy shows an inferiority in detecting IgG4/HPF count but not in IgG4/IgG ratio, storiform fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. Compared with surgical samples, needle biopsy is less likely to obtain a histological diagnosis of IgG4-RD. A different IgG4/HPF threshold for needle biopsy of the salivary glands may be considered.


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