Oral necrosis accompanying giant cell arteritis

Necrosis of the oral tissues developed in two elderly patients following their admission to the hospital for hypothermia and massive subcutaneous blood loss, respectively. One had necrosis of the fingertips, a feature sometimes associated with giant cell arteritis. Biopsy of the oral lesion in this patient demonstrated an ischemic catastrophe. Although these vascular accidents arose without histologic confirmation of giant cell arteritis, the two consultant physicians and the consultant dermatologist in charge of these patients considered the diagnosis to be that of giant cell arteritis.