Transient perivascular inflammation of the carotid artery (TIPIC) syndrome
Evy Micieli, Davide Voci, Nicola Mumoli, Daniela Mastroiacovo, Alexandru Grigorean, Michaël Obadia, Nicolas Menjot de Champfleur, Olivier Naggara, Béatrice Carsin, Malika Amor-Sahli, Jean‐Philippe Cottier, Jérémie Bensoussan, E. Auffray-Calvier, A. Varoquaux, Fabrice Bonneville, Jean Claude Sadik, Nils Kucher, Augustin Lecler, Stefano Barco
Abstract
Summary: Background: The Transient Perivascular Inflammation of the Carotid artery (TIPIC) syndrome is presumably a very rare disease characterized by a local transient inflammation of the tissue around the carotid artery. Its pathophysiology remains unknown. We performed an updated study of TIPIC syndrome cases in the setting of a multinational collaborative study. Methods: This study was conducted as an observational multinational retrospective individual patient level cohort study. Information from all known cases diagnosed with TIPIC syndrome in the literature (2005–2020) was collected after a semi-structured literature search of PubMed and Web of Science. We also collected unpublished information of patients from French, Swiss, and Italian vascular medicine or radiology departments. Results: A total of 72 patients were included and served for data analysis: 42 (58.3%) were women; the mean age was 47.9 (SD=11.4) years. Symptoms were unilateral in 92% of patients and 81.4% required pain killers. At baseline, irrespective of the imaging method used, the median thickness of the carotid lesions was 5 (Q1–Q3: 4–7; range: 2–11) mm and the median length of the lesion was 20 (Q1–Q3: 10–30; range: 3–50) mm. We found a positive linear correlation between thickness and length. At follow-up, the thickness of the carotid lesions decreased to a median of 2 (Q1–Q3: 1–3; range: 0–6) mm; the length decreased to a median 10 (Q1–Q3: 5–15; range: 0–41) mm. A linear correlation between baseline and follow-up values was observed for both thickness and length measurements. Symptoms disappeared after a median of 14 (Q1–Q3: 10–15) days. Thirteen patients experienced a recurrence after a median follow-up of 6 (Q1–Q3: 2–12) months. Conclusions: The present analysis elucidates clinical and sonographic characteristics of TIPIC syndrome, indicating the benign nature of this condition. A future international registry will study the long-term course of the disease.