Cranial and Systemic Manifestations of Giant Cell Arteritis: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common form of vasculitis in people over the age of 50. It constitutes a true medical emergency due to the risk of blindness or other ischemic manifestations. Treatment should therefore ideally begin within hours of the onset of the first clinical signs suggestive of this diagnosis. However, the often complex and nonspecific clinical presentation, combined with the absence of clear diagnostic criteria, frequently leads to delays in management. We report two cases of patients with giant cell arteritis presenting with very distinct manifestations. The first case is a classic history of Horton's disease, rapidly diagnosed due to the typical clinical presentation. In the second case, the diagnosis required additional imaging studies, notably a PET-CT scan, due to the nonspecific yet common presentation of giant cell arteritis, which should not be overlooked. Through these two cases, we aim to raise awareness among primary care clinicians regarding the various clinical presentations that should raise suspicion of giant cell arteritis and prompt the need for further investigations.