[Giant cell arteritis: multiform disease of the elderly human]

Six biopsy proven cases of giant-cell arteritis in women beyond the age of 70 years are presented to illustrate the wide range of clinical manifestations of this disease. Besides polymyalgia rheumatica or cranial arteritis the illness may afflict various organs including eye, ear, skin, heart, cerebrum and liver or may mimic a chronic infectious or malignant disease. Diagnosis should be considered in any such cases, especially when laboratory data suggest a chronic infectious disease due to high sedimentation rate, anemia with low serum iron and normal total iron binding capacity and an increase in alpha 2-globulin. Diagnosis can be proven by temporal-artery biopsy or by prompt relief of all symptoms following cortisone treatment.