Pericardial involvement as an atypical manifestation of giant cell arteritis: report of a clinical case and literature review.
OBJECTIVE
Pericardial effusion has been known to be a rare manifestation of giant cell arteritis. During the last six decades, only 24 cases have been cited in the literature. In this report, we describe the case of a patient presenting with nonspecific symptoms and development of pericardial effusion.


RESULTS
A 71-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with low-grade fever, exertion breathlessness, atypical diffuse muscular pain, and weight loss over a period of about 5 weeks. Pericardial effusion and giant cell arteritis were diagnosed by echocardiography and left temporal artery biopsy, respectively. Treatment with corticosteroids resulted in remarkable improvement of symptoms and complete remission of pericardial effusion. One year after admission, the patient remained in a stable good condition, under low steroid maintenance dosage.


CONCLUSIONS
The diversity of clinical manifestations (such as pericardial effusion) in such a potentially severe disease should alert the physician to prompt diagnosis and treatment in view of impending irreparable vascular damages, even in cases in which the initial presentation is quite uncommon.
Bablekos
George D
GD
Department of Experimental Physiology, Clinical Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. gbableko@otenet.gr
Michaelides
Stylianos A
SA
Karachalios
George N
GN
Nicolaou
Irene N
IN
Batistatou
Anna K
AK
Charalabopoulos
Konstantinos A
KA
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones