Temporal arteritis

Andrew Lee, Celia Chen, Sudha Cugati

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    4 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Temporal or giant cell arteritis is an inflammation of medium and small extracranial vessels that may result in ocular ischemia, an aortitis followed by aortic dissection and peripheral limb ischemia. It should be considered a medical emergency due to the seriousness of end organ damage, in particular visual symptoms. While the presentation may be nonspecific, the presence of a tender temporal artery mandates a temporal artery biopsy. High-dose steroids should be begun the moment the diagnosis is considered and only withdrawn once it has been excluded. A gradual tapering of the steroid dose should occur over at least 1 year, with the consideration of the use of steroid-sparing agents if iatrogenic steroid complications occur. Careful monitoring of the response both clinically as well as with serial inflammatory markers is required.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)106-113
    Number of pages8
    JournalNeurology: Clinical Practice
    Volume4
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Apr 2014

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Temporal arteritis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this