title: Inflammatory disease in older adults. Cranial arteritis.
abstract: Cranial arteritis (CA), also called giant cell arteritis or temporal arteritis, is a vasculitis primarily affecting adults over age 50. It is a large vessel vasculitis, and giant cells classically can be identified on histopathologic examination of temporal arteries, but are not essential for diagnosis. Patients typically present with severe headaches, fatigue, polymyalgia-like symptoms, or ischemic complaints such as jaw claudication. Visual loss is the major feared irreversible outcome and can occur in up to 50% of those with untreated disease. Glucocorticoids, typically high dose prednisone (> or = 60 mg/d) is the first-line treatment and successfully controls the inflammatory disease in the vast majority of patients. Most patients can be tapered off steroids within 6 months to 2 years.
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spiera
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spiera
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids