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Giant cell arteritis
Giant cell arteritis is a chronic disease associated with vision loss, headaches, polymyalgia rheumatica, jaw and limb claudication, and aortic aneurysms
Prevalence
1-5/10,000
Age of Onset
ICD-10
M31.6
Inheritance
Autosomal dominant
Autosomal recessive
Mitochondrial/Multigenic
X-linked dominant
X-linked recessive
5 Facts you should know
FACT
GCA affects only older adults, with a peak incidence between ages 70 and 79
FACT
The most common symptoms of giant cell arteritis are head pain and tenderness — often severe — that usually affects both temples
FACT
Most of the clinical features of GCA result from vascular inflammation of the small extracranial branches of the carotid arteries
FACT
One of the most concerning potential complications of GCA is that of sight loss, which serves as the rationale for prompt initiation of glucocorticoids as soon as the diagnosis is suspected
FACT
GCA can overlap with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) - at some point, 5 – 15% of patients with PMR will have a diagnosis of GCA
Interest over time
Google searches
Common signs & symptoms
Anorexia
Cerebral ischemia
Fatigue
Fever
Headache
Impaired mastication
Joint stiffness
Vasculitis
Current treatments
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is typically treated with high doses of corticosteroids to reduce the inflammation in the arteries. Corticosteroids should be started promptly (perhaps even before the diagnosis is confirmed with a biopsy). If not treated, GCA may cause permanent vision loss or a stroke. The symptoms of GCA usually quickly disappear with treatment, but high doses of corticosteroids are typically maintained for 1 month. It is known that the treatment is working when the symptoms are gone and the sedimentation rate, also known as sed rate (a blood test that measures the level of inflammatory activity), is normal. The corticosteroid dose may gradually be reduced.[1] Other medicines may help to reduce the doses of corticosteroids.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of under the skin injection (subcutaneous) of tocilizumab (Brand name: Actemra) to treat adults with giant cell arteritis.[10] Remember that only your doctor can prescribe a medication, so please talk to your doctor to find out if this medication may be right for you.