Prevalence
Clinical
features
Differential
Diagnosis
Investigations
Therapy
Prognosis
|  | | | Investigations |
-
ESR or plasma viscosity
-
blood count
-
bilateral c temporal artery biopsy a
in areas of pain or inflammation (this increases the chance of a positive biopsy)
c
Patients with negative biopsies who meet all the following criteria should be diagnosed with giant cell arteritis.
d
- aged > 55
- a positive response to steroids within 48 hours
- a history lasting > 2 weeks
- at least 3 of the following
-
proximal and symmetrical girdle or upper arm muscles pain, stiffness, or tenderness
-
jaw claudication
-
clinically abnormal temporal artery (tender, thickened, red)
-
systemic symptoms or signs (malaise, anorexia, weight loss,
anaemia, pyrexia)
-
recent onset headache
-
visual disturbance (loss, dip, blurring)
|
internal medicine