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Practice Commentary
Paul Rousseau, MD
Arch Fam Med. 1994;3(7):627.
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
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Giant cell arteritis is a potentially debilitating vasculitis with a predilection for older individuals. The illustrative case reviews by Weinberg and associates not only acknowledge the age-related demographics but characterize the systemic nature of GCA, including involvement of the neurovisual apparatus and the potential for sudden visual loss. Unfortunately, most visual loss occurs prior to initiation of corticosteroid therapy, long recognized as the most efficacious treatment of GCA. Consequently, expeditious use of prednisone or methylprednisolone, with subsequent biopsy of the temporal artery, is necessary to preclude visual loss and decline in functional status.
Lamentably, many clinicians forgo the use of corticosteroids while awaiting results of the arterial biopsy. Such clinical hesitancy is often founded on the fear that even 1 day of corticosteroid therapy will engender histologic changes and negate the diagnostic utility of the temporal artery biopsy specimen. This is a medical myth that must be debunked to preserve
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
Author Affiliations
Veterans Affairs Medical Center Phoenix, Ariz
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