title: Non-giant cell arteritis of the temporal artery presenting as the polymyalgia rheumatica-temporal arteritis syndrome.
abstract: We describe a heterogeneous group of 4 elderly patients with atypical vasculitis of the temporal artery who presented clinically with the polymyalgia rheumatica-temporal arteritis syndrome. The first had apparently isolated eosinophilic necrotizing vasculitis without peripheral blood eosinophilia, history of asthma, or pulmonary vasculitis (so called limited form of Churg-Strauss syndrome). Temporal artery biopsy in the 2nd patient revealed small vessel necrotizing vasculitis in the fragment of skeletal muscle surrounding a normal temporal artery (i.e., negative for giant cell arteritis, GCA). This patient subsequently developed rheumatoid polysynovitis. The temporal artery biopsies in the remaining 2 patients showed vasa vasorum vasculitis, without GCA, associated with malignancy in Patient 3 and as an unexpected and apparently isolated finding in Patient 4. All 4 patients responded to the standard corticosteroid therapy for giant cell temporal arteritis. Unusual temporal artery biopsies such as these should be interpreted in relation to clinical findings.
authors.affiliation: Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, Rheumatology Section 11212-3198, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Lesser
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aledort
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lie
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009336:Necrosis; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones