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Inflammation of the blood vessels responsible for carrying blood to the head.
It is part of a class of diseases called vasculitis. It usually occurs in patients over 50 years of age and is estimated to affect up to 1% of the population.
It is caused by an autoimmune disorder; the predisposition to suffer from it is genetically inherited.
The most common symptoms are: throbbing headache, fever, pain and tiredness in the jaw and temporary loss of vision.
It is diagnosed by clinical history, physical examination, blood tests and biopsy of the temporal artery of the forehead.
The main treatment is corticosteroids and low doses of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).
- William P Docken. Clinical manifestations of giant cell (temporal) arteritis. UpToDate, Septiembre 2016
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- Gene G Hunder, MD. Diagnosis of giant cell (temporal) arteritis. UpToDate, Octubre 2014
- Smetana GW. Does this patient have temporal arteritis? JAMA 2002; 287:92.
- Gene G Hunder, MD. Treatment of giant cell (temporal) arteritis. UpToDate, Septiembre 2016
Dr. Patricia Sánchez
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