Abstract
In a study to assess the natural history of giant-cell arteritis, 90 patients with proved disease were followed up from the time of diagnosis. Early mortality was low and most commonly due to vertebral arteritis, but cerebral infarction did not appear to be a late complication. High maintenance dose steroids and visual loss were associated significantly with a shortened life span (p=0.0003 and p=0.0024). One-third of the patients developed chronic relapsing disease, but serious late complications were not encountered. After the initial attack has been controlled steroid dosage should be reduced to the minimum needed to alleviate symptoms.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Barricks M. E., Traviesa D. B., Glaser J. S., Levy I. S. Ophthalmoplegia in cranial arteritis. Brain. 1977 Jun;100(2):209–221. doi: 10.1093/brain/100.2.209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- CROMPTON M. R. The visual changes in temporal (giant-cell) arteritis. Report of a case with autopsy findings. Brain. 1959 Sep;82:377–390. doi: 10.1093/brain/82.3.377. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- FISHER C. M. Ocular palsy in temporal arteritis. I. Minn Med. 1959 Sep;42:1258–contd. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Harrison C. V. Giant-Cell or Temporal Arteritis: a Review. J Clin Pathol. 1948 Aug;1(4):197–211. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hill I. D. Computing man years at risk. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1972 May;26(2):132–134. doi: 10.1136/jech.26.2.132. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- PARSONS-SMITH G. Sudden blindness in cranial arteritis. Br J Ophthalmol. 1959 Apr;43(4):204–216. doi: 10.1136/bjo.43.4.204. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Peto R., Pike M. C., Armitage P., Breslow N. E., Cox D. R., Howard S. V., Mantel N., McPherson K., Peto J., Smith P. G. Design and analysis of randomized clinical trials requiring prolonged observation of each patient. II. analysis and examples. Br J Cancer. 1977 Jan;35(1):1–39. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1977.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wang F. M., Henkind P. Visual system involvement in giant cell (temporal) arteritis. Surv Ophthalmol. 1979 Jan-Feb;23(4):264–271. doi: 10.1016/0039-6257(79)90051-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]