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[Pericardial effusion and aortitis: unusual main manifestations of giant cell arteritis]
1Abteilung für Innere Medizin II, Regionalkrankenhauses Bozen, Italien.
Insights
Giant cell arteritis, a vasculitis, can present atypically without classic symptoms. This case highlights unusual findings like pericardial effusion and aortic thickening, confirmed by temporal artery biopsy.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Internal Medicine
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic vasculitis often presenting as temporal arteritis (Horton's disease).
- GCA exhibits clinical heterogeneity due to varied vascular involvement, complicating diagnosis.
- Atypical presentations without classic symptoms pose diagnostic challenges.
Abstract:
Giant cell arteritis is a systemic vasculitis with segmentary vascular localisation, usually manifesting as temporal arteritis (Horton's disease). The predominant localisation in different vascular districts leads to clinical heterogeneity and poses a considerable diagnostic challenge. We describe a 77-year old woman with atypical presentation of giant cell arteritis, suffering from fever, weight loss and fatigue, but without classical symptoms such as polymyalgias, arthralgias and headache. The findings of pericardial effusion and thickening of aortic wall in chest-CT suggested the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis, fully confirmed by the following biopsy and histologic examination of a macroscopically and palpatory normal arteria temporalis. Undergoing an appropriate corticosteroid-medication the patient has been free of symptoms since 8 months.