What are IgG4 antibodies?

IgG4 is a promiscuous antibody, which could be directly pathogenic, fulfill a protective role, or could just be a fortuitous marker of an aberrant inflammatory response. IgG4 antibodies possess exclusive structural and functional characteristics suggesting anti-inflammatory and tolerance-inducing effects.

What is Pachymeningitis?

Pachymeningitis is a rare illness which can be shown by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to be a thickening of the intracranial dura mater, when associated with an infectious, malignant, or rheumatic systematic disease.1–,6 “Idiopathic hypertrophic cranial pachymeningitis” is also noticeable, and is based on a process …

Can IgG4 be cured?

Particularly if diagnosed early, IgG4-RSD is highly treatable. Our program offers both traditional steroid therapy (prednisone) and, should that prove ineffective, a medication called rituximab that has shown great promise in treating the condition.

What is IgG4-related hypertrophic pachymeningitis?

IgG4-related hypertrophic pachymeningitis is one of the many manifestations of IgG4-related disease which represents a fibroinflammatory condition that can affect any organ. IgG4-related pachymeningitis is increasingly being recognised as the aetiology of hypertrophic pachymeningitis, an entity which until recently was thought to be idiopathic.

What are the signal characteristics of pachymeningitis detected by FDG-PET?

The following signal characteristics are seen: FDG-PET has limited utility for detecting pachymeningitis due to avid brain uptake of FDG and inferior spatial resolution of PET compared to MRI. FDG-PET can detect systemic/multiorgan manifestations of IgG4-related disease and can be utilized to assess for treatment response.

What are the histopathological features of immunoglobulin g4-rich plasma (igg4-rhp)?

In particular, hallmark histopathological features of IgG4-RHP are a lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells, storiform fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis.

What CT findings are characteristic of pachymeningitis?

Findings on CT can be very subtle. Plaque-like dural thickening may or may not be evident. Focal nodular thickening may mimic a meningioma . The following signal characteristics are seen: FDG-PET has limited utility for detecting pachymeningitis due to avid brain uptake of FDG and inferior spatial resolution of PET compared to MRI.