[Subclavian and axillary arteritis in Horton's disease and rhizomelic pseudopolyarthritis. 10 cases]

Ten patients aged from 60 to 73 years presenting with Horton's disease or polymyalgia rheumatica had arteritis of the upper limbs. Asymptomatic abolition of pulse in the upper limbs (1 case) or claudication at rest or exercise (9 cases) and/or Raynaud's phenomenon (5 cases) preceded (4 cases) or accompanied (1 case) the discovery of giant cell arteritis, or complicated the reduction or discontinuation of corticosteroid therapy. Diagnosis rested on the regular association of an inflammatory syndrome with multiple arterial tapered stenoses and/or arterial thrombosis in the post-vertebral subclavian, axillary or brachial arteries and, chiefly, on the demonstration (in 7 cases) of a giant cell granuloma at biopsy of the temporal artery. Corticosteroid therapy (1 mg/kg/24 h in 8 cases and 0.5 mg/kg/24 h in 2 cases) initially combined with anticoagulants in 4 cases resulted in rapid regression of ischaemic and systemic signs in all patients, thus avoiding surgical revascularization of the upper limbs.