Temporal Artery Vascular Diseases

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Pathology

Background:

• Temporal arteritis is often diagnosed as giant cell arteritis (GCA).
• However, various other vascular conditions can affect the temporal artery, necessitating differential diagnoses.
• These conditions range from vasculitis to non-vasculitic diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and describe the differential diagnoses for temporal arteritis.
• To highlight conditions that mimic or trigger giant cell arteritis.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of diseases affecting the temporal artery.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of conditions affecting the temporal artery.
• Analysis of vasculitic and non-vasculitic diseases impacting temporal arteries.
• Categorization of differential diagnoses based on etiology (vasculitis, infection, drugs, other).

Main Results:

• Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis can mimic GCA but presents with distinct symptoms.
• Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is another vasculitic cause of temporal arteritis.
• Infections (e.g., varicella-zoster virus), drugs (e.g., checkpoint inhibitors), atherosclerosis, and arteriovenous fistulas are also discussed.

Conclusions:

• Accurate diagnosis of temporal artery conditions requires considering a broad spectrum of diseases beyond GCA.
• Recognizing specific clinical features and diagnostic markers is crucial for differentiating these conditions.
• This review provides a framework for understanding the diverse pathologies affecting the temporal artery.