Incidence and survival rate in cases of biopsy-proven temporal arteritis

In the population of the city of Tampere, Finland, 66 patients with histologically verified temporal arteritis were identified during the 20-year period from 1969 to 89. The cases were followed up to March 31st in 1991. The annual age- and sex-adjusted incidence of temporal arteritis per 100,000 population aged 50 or older was 4.5 in 1970-79 and 9.2 in 1980-89. The patients showed excess mortality although this was not statistically significant. After excluding hypertensive disease, angina pectoris and congestive heart disease the survival of the remaining subgroup did not differ from the control population.