Does a normal CTA or MRA exclude presence of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN)?
PAN is an uncommon vasculitis which affects the kidneys in 90% of cases and leads to arterial wall thickening and microaneurysms. It affects medium-sized arteries, such as the intrarenal renal arteries, which are just within the resolution of CTA and MRA. The abnormalities may or may not be seen on CTA and MRA, which do not have the spatial resolution to confidently exclude PAN.