[Temporal arteritis with necrotizing angiitis of the muscles]

A 71 year old woman with typical giant-cell arteritis experienced myalgia of the legs immediately at the end of steroid therapy, 3 months after the onset of her illness. Muscle biopsy showed a focal necrotising panarteritis whereas the muscular fibres remained unchanged. The patient is now asymptomatic after 3 years' follow-up on prednisolone therapy (10 mg per day). This case demonstrates that giant cell arteritis can also involve the muscular arteries.