Giant cell arteritis among Hispanic Americans.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence and clinical course of giant cell arteritis (GCA) among Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients.


METHODS
Comparative case series.


METHODS
Two hundred fifty-seven consecutive patients who underwent temporal artery biopsy in our institution from 1996 to 2002 were studied. A prospective telephone survey was conducted to determine race and Hispanic origin separately by means of methodology of the US Census Bureau.


RESULTS
One hundred thirty-four patients completed the interview, with 65 (49%) identifying themselves as Hispanic and 69 (51%) as non-Hispanic. Of the 32 respondents with biopsy-proven GCA, all identified themselves racially as white, and 13 (41%) were Hispanic and 19 (59%) were non-Hispanic (P = .32). Statistically significant differences in age, presenting symptoms, and final visual acuity were not observed among Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients with GCA.


CONCLUSIONS
Although GCA has been reported to be rare in Hispanics, we found the prevalence and clinical course of GCA to be similar in Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients.
Lam
Byron L
BL
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 900 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL 33136, USA. blam@med.miami.edu
Wirthlin
Robert S
RS
Gonzalez
Ariadna
A
Dubovy
Sander R
SR
Feuer
William J
WJ
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000473:pathology