title: Combined medical, surgical and endovascular treatment of a giant cell arteritis case manifesting as upper limbs acute ischemia.
abstract: We report a case of giant cell arteritis manifesting as upper limbs ischemia due to a complete occlusion of the left subclavian artery and a high grade stenosis of the right subclavian artery. We decided to use a combined medical, surgical and endovascular treatment followed by long term treatment with methotrexate. After 4years the patient had no signs or symptoms of relapse. In our personal experience long term treatment with Methotrexate demonstrated a certain efficacy in avoiding relapse of the inflammatory phase and in maintaining stability of results in this kind of disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Unit of Vascular Surgery, Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: defranci@unicz.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Franciscis
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Sant'Anna Hospital, Via Pio X, Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.roscitano@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roscitano
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Unit of Vascular Surgery, Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: rserra@unicz.it.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Unit of Vascular Surgery, Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: buffonegianluca@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buffone
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Sant'Anna Hospital, Via Pio X, Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: attiliocotroneo@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cotroneo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Unit of Vascular Surgery, Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: sangioacchino@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Franciscis
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Unit of Vascular Surgery, Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: dielo@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mastrangelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: fspinelli@unime.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spinelli
keywords: Giant cell arteritis, Acute ischemia, Endovascular and surgical treatment; Methotrexate, Cyclophosphamide, Prednisone