Characteristics of patients with giant cell arteritis who experience visual symptoms

Relapses in Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a relapsing disease. However, the nature, chronology, therapeutic impact, and clinical consequences of relapses have been scarcely addressed. We conducted the present study to investigate the prevalence, timing, and characteristics of relapses in patients with GCA and to analyze whether a relapsing course is associated with disease-related complications, increased ...

The diagnosis and management of patients with giant cell arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis

Giant cell arteritis (GCA), temporal arteritis or Horton’s arteritis, is a systemic vasculitis which involves large and medium sized vessels, especially the extracranial branches of the carotid arteries, in persons usually older than 50 years. Permanent visual loss, ischaemic strokes, and thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms are feared complications of GCA. The treatment consists of high dos...

Giant cell arteritis.

Permanent, severe loss of vision is a feared complication; however, it is not the sole possible devastating outcome of giant cell arteritis. Myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke and limb gangrene may also occur. Thor acic aortic aneurysms are seen over 17 times more often in patients with giant cell arteritis than in age-matched controls. The optimal work-up includes erythrocyte sedimentation...

Giant cell arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis of the elderly. The diagnosis can be challenging at times because of the limitation of the American Rheumatology Association (ARA) classification criteria and the significant proportion of biopsy-negative patients with GCA. We discuss the role of advanced imaging techniques, including positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, in establ...