Giant cell arteritis of the posterior cerebral circulation presenting with ataxia and ophthalmoplegia.
Two patients had truncal ataxia, upbeat nystagmus, and upgaze palsy. Initially, a paraneoplastic disorder was suspected, but a temporal artery biopsy revealed giant cell arteritis (GCA). This unusual clinical manifestation of GCA probably resulted from thromboembolic complications of vertebral arteritis.
D000368:Aged; D001259:Ataxia / Q000209:etiology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000098:blood supply; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004172:Diplopia / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology; D009886:Ophthalmoplegia / Q000209:etiology*; D014717:Vertigo / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity