[Disease associations in 250 patients with temporal (giant cell) arteritis].
BACKGROUND
Miscellaneous disorders have been described in association with temporal (giant cell) arteritis (TA), most often anecdotally, except with arteriosclerosis.


METHODS
In a retrospective study, we reported our personal experience of disease associations in a series of 250 patients diagnosed with TA and followed-up in the department between 1976 and 2003.


RESULTS
Disease associations were found in 43 patients, i.e. 17% of cases: concurrent malignancy (23 patients: 17 cancers and 6 blood diseases), primary Gougerot-Sjögren's syndrome (6 cases), endocrine disease other than Hashimoto's thyroiditis (7 cases: 3 hyperparathyroidism [HPP], 3 hyperthyroidism, 1 association HPP + hyperthyroidism), polyneuropathy (3 cases), essential thrombocythaemia (2 cases), anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic (anti-myeloperoxidase) antibodies (2 cases), and miscellaneous associations (1 case of RS3PE syndrome, nephrotic syndrome, myasthenia, sarcoidosis, and macro-creatine kinase type 2). More than one disease associated was present 5 patients. In 77% of the patients, there was a strong temporal association between TA and the alternate illness. No systemic necrotizing vasculitis or rheumatoid arthritis was observed in any patient.


CONCLUSIONS
In our experience, there was a frequent, non-fortuitous, association between TA and malignancy. Auto-immune conditions were rare, but the prevalence of Gougerot-Sjögren's syndrome might have been underestimated. Hyperthyroidism and HPP are not exceptional and must be recognised in order to avoid severe bone loss induced by corticosteroids.
Liozon
E
E
Service de médecine interne A, Hôpital universitaire Dupuytren, Limoges (87). Eric.liozon@chu-limoges.fr
Loustaud-Ratti
V
V
Soria
P
P
Bezanahary
H
H
Fauchais
A L
AL
Nadalon
S
S
Rhaiem
K
K
Ly
K
K
Vidal
E
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology