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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

An Immunohistopathologic Study to Profile the Folate Receptor Beta Macrophage and Vascular Immune Microenvironment in Giant Cell Arteritis
Published on: February 8, 2019
[Pericarditis: a giant cell arteritis manifestation].
A Guindon1, P Rossi, D Bagneres
1Service de médecine interne, hôpital Nord, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), chemin des Bourrelys, 13915 Marseille, France.
Inflammatory pericarditis may be a manifestation of temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis). Early diagnosis and steroid treatment led to rapid recovery in an elderly patient, suggesting a link between these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Temporal arteritis, a form of vasculitis, primarily affects arteries in the head and neck.
- Inflammatory pericarditis is inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart.
Observation:
- A 75-year-old woman presented with prolonged deterioration, fever, headache, and inflammatory markers.
- Imaging revealed cardiomegaly and pericarditis, confirmed by echocardiogram.
- Temporal artery biopsy diagnosed giant cell arteritis.
Findings:
- Steroid treatment rapidly resolved the patient's inflammatory state and pericarditis.
- No relapse occurred during a 6-month follow-up period.
Implications:
- Suggests a potential link between temporal arteritis and inflammatory pericarditis.
- Highlights the need for echocardiography in giant cell arteritis patients.
- Proposes temporal artery biopsy for elderly patients with idiopathic pericarditis.
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