Ischemic stroke in giant-cell arteritis: French retrospective study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rheumatology
• Vascular Medicine

Background:

• Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an inflammatory condition affecting large arteries.
• Acute cerebrovascular ischemic events, including stroke, are rare but severe complications of GCA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of GCA-related stroke.
• To analyze overall survival and relapse-free survival in GCA patients with and without stroke.
• To identify risk factors associated with stroke in GCA patients.

Main Methods:

• A multicentric retrospective analysis of 129 patients diagnosed with GCA between September 2010 and October 2018.
• Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics between GCA patients with and without acute ischemic cerebrovascular events.
• Survival analysis using log-rank tests to compare overall and relapse-free survival.

Main Results:

• 18% (16) of GCA patients experienced an acute ischemic cerebrovascular event.
• Patients with stroke were older and more frequently male compared to those without stroke.
• Overall survival (4.4 vs. 221.7 months) and 3-year relapse-free survival (8.42 vs. 78.0 months) were significantly decreased in GCA patients with stroke.

Conclusions:

• Ischemic stroke is a significant complication of GCA, associated with increased mortality and reduced relapse-free survival.
• Older age and male sex are identified as risk factors for stroke in GCA patients.
• GCA patients experiencing stroke require vigilant monitoring for disease recurrence and survival outcomes.