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Giant cell arteritis incidence: analysis by season and year in mid-Atlantic United States
Krystian Kisza1, Ann P Murchison, Yang Dai
1Department of Ophthalmology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
Background:
Evaluate the incidence of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis for seasonal or annual variability in the Mid-Atlantic United States.
Design:
Retrospective chart review of all patients undergoing temporal artery biopsy from 1994 to 2011.
Participants:
The charts of 744 patients were reviewed, and 215 patients were diagnosed with giant cell arteritis based on positive temporal artery biopsy results.
Methods:
All results between 1994 and 2011 were reviewed. Giant cell arteritis incidence data were evaluated by year, season and month for any trends or cyclic patterns.
Main Outcome Measure:
Incidence of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis.
Results:
The majority of patients were female (74%) and over the age of 60 (98.6%). The diagnosis of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis was found in 215 of 744 (28.9%) patients. The incidence of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis by year varied, with the peak incidence in 1996. The monthly incidence peaked in July and had a trough in October. However, Poisson regression analysis did not show any statistically significant trend over time or cyclic pattern to the incidence by year, season or month.
Conclusions:
The incidence of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis in the population studied did not have any significant cyclic pattern over the last 17 years. The highest incidence by month was noted in July with a trough in October. However, this was not a significant pattern by month or season to support infectious or periodic environmental factors inciting giant cell arteritis.
