[Analysis of a series of 55 patients with biopsy proven giant cell temporal arteritis]

Our main aim with this study is to establish the epidemiologic and clinical features, treatment response and complications of a group composed of 55 patients with biopsy proven temporal arteritis in a local hospital.

Retrospective study based on clinical records revision of patients diagnosed of giant cell arteritis (GCA) made by temporal artery biopsy between 1989 and 2001.

The approximated annual incidence of GCA in our area is 4.1 cases per 100,000 persons over the age of 50. The mean age at diagnostic was 74 years and the 78,2% were women. The most common symptom at diagnostic was headache (81.5%) followed by systemic manifestations (74.1%) and later we found jaw claudication (32,7%), visual impairment (30.2%), isquemic manifestations (17%). Polymyalgia rheumatica was associated to GCA in 49.1% of cases. The temporal artery explorations was abnormal in the 76.9% of patients. The mean initial dose of corticoids was 69 mg prednisone per day, with a half dose reduction time of .5 months. In spite of that, 24,1% of patients relapsed during the first year. The 38% of patients did some complications during the corticosteroid treatment. The ESR was lower 50 mm in 12.7% of patients; it was anaemia in the 37.7% and thrombocytosis in 32,1%. In these last patients we detected a relation between thrombocytosis and specific visual impairment.

The incidence of GCA in our area is low. The results of our series aren't different from others publicated before in clinical manifestations, there is a prevalence of female sex and there is a relation between specific visual impairment and the presence of thrombocytosis.