title: Giant cell arteritis.
abstract: Giant cell arteritis is a systemic vasculitis with a wide clinical spectrum, and it represents a medical emergency. Visual loss is the most feared complication, and when it happens, it tends to be profound and permanent. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are imperative to minimize potentially devastating visual loss and neurologic deficits. A temporal artery biopsy should be performed on every patient in whom the diagnosis is suspected. The mainstay of therapy remains corticosteroids.
authors.affiliation: Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, 3303 South West Bond Avenue, Portland, OR 97239, USA. falardea@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Falardeau
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D007155:Immunologic Factors