Giant cell arteritis Author: Doctor José María Calvo-Romero1 Creation Date: June 2003 Scientific Editor: Professor Loic Guillevin 1Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Zafra, Antigua Ctra. Nacional 432, 06300 Zafra (Badajoz), Spain.
[email protected] Abstract Key-words Disease names Definition Epidemiology Etiology Clinical manifestations Laboratory findings Diagnosis Treatment Prognosis References Abstract Giant cell arteritis (GCA) or temporal arteritis is a systemic vasculitis which involves large and medium- sized vessels, especially the extracranial branches of the carotid artery, usually in persons older than 50 years. Feared complications of GCA are permanent visual loss, ischaemic strokes and thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms. The treatment consists of high-dose steroids. Mortality in patients with GCA seems to be similar to that of controls, probably due to a correct diagnosis and management. GCA is the most common systemic vasculitis in Western countries. The incidence rates described in European countries are around 20:100 000 persons older than 50 years. Key-words vasculitis, giant cell arteritis, temporal arteritis, Horton’s arteritis, large and medium-sized vessels disorder. Disease names Table 1: The Chapel Hill Consensus Giant cell arteritis Conference on the Nomenclature of Systemic Temporal arteritis Vasculitis Horton’s arteritis Large Vessel Vasculitis Giant cell arteritis Definition Takayasu arteritis Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a relatively common Medium Vessel Vasculitis systemic vasculitis in Europe. GCA involves Polyarteritis nodosa large and medium-sized vessels in patients Kawasaki’s disease usually older than 50 years. It is a Small Vessel Vasculitis granulomatous arteritis of the aorta and its major Wegener’s granulomatosis branches, especially the extracranial branches of Churg-Strauss syndrome Microscopic polyangiitis the carotid artery.