Sherard RK, Coleridge ST
Giant-cell arteritis. [Case Reports, Journal Article]
J Emerg Med 1986; 4(4):293-9.
Giant-cell or temporal arteritis is a generalized vasculitis that predominantly affects large- and medium-sized arteries in people over 50 years of age. The illness is commonly characterized by the initial symptoms of headache, temporal artery tenderness or pulselessness, musculoskeletal pain, fever, and fatigue. The most dreaded consequence of giant-cell arteritis is visual loss, which is usually irreversible on presentation. Giant-cell arteritis may present with unusual clinical manifestations such as lip, scalp, and tongue necrosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, claudication of the limbs, strokes, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, hematuria, cough, or other CNS symptoms. The etiology of the disease is unknown. Emergency physicians are usually familiar with the more common clinical symptoms but one must consider the unusual manifestations of the disease, because early recognition and initiation of therapy (steroids) decrease morbidity and can prevent blindness.
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