Associate Professor Anthony Sammel

Associate Professor Anthony Sammel

Conjoint Associate Professor

MBBS (Hons) PhD B Eng (Hons) CCPU FRACP

Medicine & Health
School of Clinical Medicine

Dr Sammel is a rheumatologist and conjoint senior lecturer at the Prince of Wales Clinical School. He has a clinical and research interest in inflammatory vascular disease and leads the rheumatology vasculitis service at the Prince of Wales Hospital. Vasculitis refers to a family of conditions where the immune system attacks blood vessels and includes conditions such as giant cell arteritis, Takayasu arteritis, ANCA associated vasculitis, cryoglobulinaemia, IgG4 and Behcet disease. He is a director and founding member of the Australian and New Zealand Vasculitis Society (ANZVASC). 


Dr Sammel completed rheumatology training at the Prince of Wales and Royal North Shore Hospitals before undertaking a vascular medicine fellowship at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. Subsequently he undertook a clinical observership with the rheumatology vasculitis service at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA. 


His current research focuses on giant cell arteritis and aortitis with an emphasis on new imaging modalities including positron emission tomography. He has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles on this topic and spoken at national and international conferences.  

  • Journal articles | 2023
    Lim MY; Ho Shon I; Sammel AM, 2023, 'Crowned dens syndrome detected on FDG-PET/CT during investigation for giant cell arteritis.', Arthritis Rheumatol, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/art.42777
    Journal articles | 2022
    Caterson HC; Li A; March L; Bannon PG; Marshman D; Wolfenden HD; Kench J; Davidson T; Soh HC; Sammel AM, 2022, 'Post-operative outcomes of inflammatory thoracic aortitis: a study of 41 patients from a cohort of 1119 surgical cases', Clinical Rheumatology, 41, pp. 1219 - 1226, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10067-021-05978-z
    Journal articles | 2022
    Islam S; Cullen T; Sumpton D; Damodaran A; Heath D; Bosco A; Doo NW; Kidson-Gerber G; Cheong A; Lawford R; Walsh R; Sammel A, 2022, 'VEXAS syndrome: lessons learnt from an early Australian case series', Internal Medicine Journal, 52, pp. 658 - 662, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/imj.15742
    Journal articles | 2022
    Nguyen AAK; Sammel AM; Mollan SP; Subramanian PS; Fraser CL, 2022, 'Giant Cell Arteritis Incidence During the COVID Pandemic.', J Neuroophthalmol, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/WNO.0000000000001638
    Journal articles | 2022
    Quigley J; Sammel AM; Laurent R; Brewer J; Hsiao E; Schembri G; Fraser CL; Fraser C; Mollan S, 2022, 'The Clinical Significance of Small Vessel Vasculitis on Temporal Artery Biopsies', Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, 42, pp. 212 - 217, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/WNO.0000000000001505
    Journal articles | 2022
    Spies MC; Gutjahr-Holland JA; Bertouch JV; Sammel AM, 2022, 'Prevalence of Neuropsychiatric Lupus in Psychosis Patients Who Have Tested Positive for Antinuclear Antibodies', Arthritis Care and Research, 74, pp. 427 - 432, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/acr.24472
    Journal articles | 2021
    Caterson H; Li A; March L; Bannon P; Kench J; Davidson T; Soh HC; Sammel A, 2021, 'OUTCOMES OF SURGICALLY RESECTED THORACIC AORTITIS: RESULTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE MULTICENTRE REGISTRY', ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES, 80, pp. 654 - 655, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.1531
    Journal articles | 2021
    Fraser CL; Sammel AM, 2021, 'Why it is time for an update on giant cell arteritis', Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 49, pp. 99 - 101, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ceo.13903
    Journal articles | 2021
    Johnson VL; Ryan J; Ho-Shon I; Davidson T; Sammel A, 2021, 'Clinical Images: Pulmonary Arteritis in Clinically Occult Aneurysmal Giant Cell Arteritis', ACR Open Rheumatology, 3, pp. 356, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/acr2.11249
    Journal articles | 2021
    Sammel AM; Xue M; Karsten E; Little CB; Smith S; Nguyen K; Laurent R, 2021, 'Limited utility of novel serological biomarkers in patients newly suspected of having giant cell arteritis', International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 24, pp. 781 - 788, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.14111
    Journal articles | 2021
    Tang Lee Say TL; Yang V; Fingret JM; Zagora S; Symes R; Younan C; Cornish EE; Verma N; Sammel A; Wakefield D; Speden D; McCluskey PJ, 2021, 'Adalimumab in patients with vision-threatening uveitis: Real-world clinical experience', BMJ Open Ophthalmology, 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjophth-2021-000819
    Journal articles | 2021
    Xiong J; Sammel A; Laurent R; Fraser CL, 2021, 'Diagnostic utility of the chewing gum test in giant cell arteritis', Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 49, pp. 83 - 84, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ceo.13879
    Journal articles | 2020
    Caterson HC; Shah PR; Wegner EA; Sammel AM, 2020, 'Ophthalmic Inflammation on Positron Emission Tomography in Vision-Threatening Giant Cell Arteritis', Arthritis and Rheumatology, 72, pp. 1012, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/art.41218
    Journal articles | 2020
    Dey A; Sammel AM, 2020, 'Old disease, new tricks Update on giant cell arteritis', Medicine Today, 21, pp. 47 - 52, https://medicinetoday.com.au/2020/july/regular-series/old-disease-new-tricks-update-giant-cell-arteritis
    Journal articles | 2020
    Kim LN; Sammel AM, 2020, 'A downward dog seldom bites: A rare case of bilateral ulnar artery thrombosis from yoga', Vascular Medicine (United Kingdom), 25, pp. 383 - 384, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1358863X20918664
    Journal articles | 2020
    Ryan J; Tieu J; Bose B; Francis R; Gingold M; Goh L; Gray J; Hill CL; Hissaria P; Jahan S; Langguth D; Li J; McLean-Tooke A; Peh CA; Rahman M; Sammel T; Stamp LK; Street M; Swaminathan S; Wong NL; Kitching R, 2020, 'Formation of the Australia and New Zealand Vasculitis Society to improve the care of patients with Vasculitis in Australian and New Zealand', Internal Medicine Journal, 50, pp. 781 - 783, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/imj.14898
    Journal articles | 2020
    Sammel AM; Hsiao E; Schembri G; Bailey E; Nguyen K; Brewer J; Schrieber L; Janssen B; Youssef P; Fraser CL; Laurent R, 2020, 'Cranial and large vessel activity on positron emission tomography scan at diagnosis and 6 months in giant cell arteritis', International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 23, pp. 582 - 588, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.13805
    Journal articles | 2020
    Sammel AM; Smith S; Nguyen K; Laurent R; Brewer J; Hall N; Little CB, 2020, 'Assessment for varicella zoster virus in patients newly suspected of having giant cell arteritis', Rheumatology (United Kingdom), 59, pp. 1992 - 1996, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kez556
    Journal articles | 2020
    Spies M; Gutjahr-Holland J; Bertouch JV; Sammel A, 2020, 'THU0284 PREVALENCE OF NEUROPSYCHIATRIC LUPUS IN PSYCHOSIS PATIENTS WITH A POSITIVE ANTINUCLEAR ANTIBODY', Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 79, pp. 369.1 - 369, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-eular.1585
    Journal articles | 2019
    Sammel AM; Hsiao E; Schembri G; Nguyen K; Brewer J; Schrieber L; Janssen B; Youssef P; Fraser CL; Bailey E; Bailey DL; Roach P; Laurent R, 2019, 'Diagnostic Accuracy of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography of the Head, Neck, and Chest for Giant Cell Arteritis: A Prospective, Double-Blind, Cross-Sectional Study', Arthritis and Rheumatology, 71, pp. 1319 - 1328, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/art.40864
    Journal articles | 2019
    Sammel AM; Wolfenden HD; Joshua F; Jepson N, 2019, 'Reduced efficacy of transcatheter and surgical revascularization in Takayasu arteritis', International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 22, pp. 152 - 157, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.12549
    Journal articles | 2019
    Zagora SL; Cornish EE; Symes RJ; Younan C; Sammel A; Wakefield D; McCluskey P, 2019, 'Inflammatory eye and rheumatic disease', International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 22, pp. 2091 - 2095, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.13714
    Journal articles | 2018
    Sammel AM; Fraser CL, 2018, 'Update on giant cell arteritis', Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, 29, pp. 520 - 527, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/ICU.0000000000000528
    Journal articles | 2018
    Sammel AM; Fung S; Omari A, 2018, 'Images in Vascular Medicine: Non-thrombotic pulmonary artery embolism - Don't forget the differential.', Vasc Med, 23, pp. 185 - 186, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1358863X17739145
    Journal articles | 2018
    Sammel AM; Hamilton D; Omari A; McGrath M, 2018, 'Comment on: The proposed role of ultrasound in the management of giant cell arteritis in routine clinical practice', RHEUMATOLOGY, 57, pp. 1124 - 1125, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/key033
    Journal articles | 2018
    Sammel AM; Hsiao E; Nguyen K; Schembri G; Laurent R, 2018, 'Maxillary artery 18F-FDG uptake as a new finding on PET/CT scan in a cohort of 41 patients suspected of having giant cell arteritis.', Int J Rheum Dis, 21, pp. 560 - 562, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.13241
    Journal articles | 2017
    Armellin L; Sammel AM; Ng B; Sarathy K; Lambros J; Amir-Nezami T; Thomas SD; Highton J; Damodaran A, 2017, 'Coronary artery stenting in acute coronary syndrome associated with giant cell arteritis', Journal of Cardiology Cases, 16, pp. 77 - 81, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jccase.2017.05.008
    Journal articles | 2017
    Sammel AM; Hsiao E; Schrieber L; Janssen B; Youssef P; Fraser CL; Kuo CH; Dunn H; Bailey DL; Roach P; Schembri G; Bailey E; Nguyen K; Farmakis P; Laurent R, 2017, 'Fluorine-18 fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography uptake in the superficial temporal and vertebral arteries in biopsy positive giant cell arteritis', Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, 23, pp. 443, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/RHU.0000000000000543
    Journal articles | 2017
    Sammel AM; Spies MC; DeCarle R; Rayment M; Joshua F, 2017, 'Shear-wave elastographic ultrasound of metacarpophalangeal synovium in rheumatoid arthritis - A pilot study.', Australas J Ultrasound Med, 20, pp. 58 - 65, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajum.12047
    Journal articles | 2016
    Sammel AM; Rosettenstein K; Post JJ; Bertouch JV, 2016, 'FRI0365 Limited Evidence of Active Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) Infection in A Cohort of Acute Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) Patients', Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 75, pp. 567.1 - 567, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-eular.1318
    Journal articles | 2016
    Sammel AM; Spies MC; DeCarle R; Rayment M; Joshua F, 2016, 'FRI0525 Elastographic Ultrasound of Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) Synovium in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)', Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 75, pp. 629.2 - 629, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-eular.1331
    Journal articles | 2015
    Chen DH; Sammel AM; Jain P; Jepson NS, 2015, 'Cardiologist Operated Ultrasound Guided Thrombin Injection as a Safe and Efficacious First Line Treatment for Iatrogenic Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysms', Heart Lung and Circulation, 24, pp. 165 - 172, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hlc.2014.07.066
    Journal articles | 2015
    Sammel AM; Drew TL; Low JP; Damodaran AK, 2015, 'Giant cell (temporal) arteritis : What GPS need to know', Medicine Today, 16, pp. 57 - 62
    Journal articles | 2013
    Sammel AM; Chen D; Jepson N, 2013, 'New Generation Coronary Stent Technology-Is the Future Biodegradable?', Heart Lung and Circulation, 22, pp. 495 - 506, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hlc.2013.02.008
    Journal articles | 2012
    Chen D; Sammel A; Jain P; Batt P; Jepson N, 2012, 'Ultrasound Guided Thrombin Injection – A Safe and Efficacious Treatment for Iatrogenic Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysms Despite Concomitant Antiplatelet and Antithrombotic Therapy', Heart, Lung and Circulation, 21, pp. S183 - S183, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hlc.2012.05.454
    Journal articles | 2012
    Chen D; Sammel A; Jain P; Jepson N; Batt P, 2012, 'Percutaneous Ultrasound-Guided Thrombin Injection as a Safe and Efficacious Primary Treatment of Iatrogenic Femoral Pseudoaneurysms for the Interventional Cardiologist', JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY, 60, pp. B115 - B116, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2012.08.432
  • Conference Abstracts | 2022
    Malik R; Sammel A; Fraser C, 2022, 'Temporal artery biopsies at Sydney Eye Hospital-An 11-year review', in Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, Wiley, Vol. 50, pp. 929 - 929, presented at Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists 53rd Annual Scientific Congress, 28 October 2022 - 01 November 2022, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ceo.14156
    Conference Abstracts | 2022
    McMaster C; Yang V; Malik R; Norman E; Fraser C; Sutu B; Sammel A; Liew D, 2022, 'TEMPORAL ARTERY BIOPSY POSITIVITY RATES VARY MORE BETWEEN SIMILAR HOSPITALS THAN BY LENGTH, WITH PARTICULAR VARIATION BETWEEN GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS', in ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES, BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, DENMARK, Copenhagen, Vol. 81, pp. 1427 - 1428, presented at EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR), DENMARK, Copenhagen, 01 June 2022 - 04 June 2022, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-eular.4218
    Conference Abstracts | 2022
    McMaster C; Yang V; Malik R; Norman E; Fraser C; Sutu B; Sammel A; Liew D, 2022, 'Variation in giant cell arteritis diagnostic practice by temporal artery biopsy is more dependent on hospital site than biopsy length or patient characteristics, with particular variation between Australian states', in Internal Medicine Journal, Wiley, Hybrid Meeting with Satellite Hubs Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, Vol. 52, pp. 37 - 38, presented at Australian Rheumatology Association 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting, Hybrid Meeting with Satellite Hubs Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, 20 May 2022 - 22 May 2022, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imj.15756
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Caterson H; Li A; March L; Bannon P; Kench J; Davidson T; Soh H-C; Sammel A, 2021, 'OUTCOMES OF SURGICALLY RESECTED THORACIC AORTITIS: RESULTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE MULTI-CENTRE REGISTRY', in INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, WILEY, pp. 13 - 13, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000651518500026&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Say TLTL; Yang V; Fingret J; Zagora SL; Symes R; Younan C; Cornish EE; Sammel A; Wakefield D; Speden D; McCluskey PJ, 2021, 'Adalimumab therapy in patients with vision threatening uveitis', in INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000690761100512&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Sammel A; Hsiao E; Schembri G; Bailey E; Nguyen K; Brewer J; Janssen B; Schrieber L; Youssef P; Fraser C; Laurent R, 2019, 'PET/CT Vascular Findings at Baseline and Six Months in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Giant Cell Arteritis', in ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY, WILEY, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000507466904435&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Sammel A; Schembri G; Nguyen K; Dunn H; Roach P; Youssef P; Schrieber L; Janssen B; Hsiao E; Bailey E; Bailey D; Fraser C; Kuo C; Farmakis P; Weim ; Laurent R, 2017, 'VASCULAR INVOLVEMENT IN GIANT CELL ARTERITIS (GCA) - INTERIM RESULTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE FDG PET-CT STUDY', in INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, WILEY, pp. 6 - 6, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000400304400007&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Arthritis Australia Translational Research Grant 2017. Improving the diagnosis and prognostication of giant cell arteritis (GCA) through the use of positron emission tomography (PET), immune and microbiological biomarkers.

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Postgraduate Research Scholarship. 2017-2020.