Table 3.
Comparisons between patients with biopsy-proven GCA with and without visual complications. Values are n (%) unless otherwise specified.
| Characteristics | GCA with Visual Complications, n = 85 | GCA with no Visual Complications, n = 82 | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at diagnosis, yrs, mean (SD) | 78.0 (± 7.3) | 77.9 (± 6.6) | NA |
| Female/male | 59/26 | 57/25 | NA |
| Headache | 63 (74) | 73 (89) | 0.01 |
| Jaw claudication | 36 (42) | 27 (33) | 0.20 |
| Fever* | 13 (23) | 24 (40) | 0.04 |
| Temporal artery tenderness | 28 (33) | 42 (51) | 0.01 |
| PMR symptoms at GCA onset | 53 (62) | 62 (76) | 0.06 |
| Diagnosis of PMR prior to onset of GCA | 21 (25) | 11 (13) | 0.06 |
| Diagnosis delay, days, median (IQR) | 24 (9–45) | 24 (11–35) | 0.94 |
| Treatment delay, days, median (IQR) | 24 (9–45) | 24 (11–35) | 0.94 |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Hypertension | 43 (51) | 37 (45) | 0.48 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 12 (14) | 13 (16) | 0.75 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 8 (9) | 6 (7) | 0.62 |
| Ischemic heart diseases | 14 (17) | 19 (23) | 0.27 |
| Cerebrovascular accident | 8 (9) | 4 (5) | 0.37 |
| Thromboembolic disease | 15 (18) | 10 (12) | 0.32 |
| Histopathology findings | |||
| Granuloma | 13 (15) | 17 (21) | 0.36 |
| Giant cells | 49 (58) | 47 (58) | 0.96 |
| Atherosclerosis | 11 (13) | 7 (9) | 0.35 |
| Drugs at GCA onset | |||
| ACE/ARB | 21 (25) | 12 (15) | 0.10 |
| Anticoagulants | 6 (7) | 2 (2) | 0.27 |
| Platelet inhibitors | 21 (25) | 27 (33) | 0.26 |
| Statins | 15 (18) | 11 (13) | 0.45 |
| NSAID | 3 (4) | 3 (4) | 1.00 |
| β-adrenergic inhibitors | 31 (37) | 15 (18) | 0.009 |
| Laboratory data at time of GCA diagnosis | |||
| Hemoglobin, g/dl, mean (SD) | 11.8 (± 1.5) | 11.6 (± 1.7) | 0.56 |
| White blood cell count × 109/l, median (IQR) | 9.2 (7.5–11) | 10 (8–11) | 0.39 |
| Platelets × 109/l, mean (SD) | 413 (± 143) | 385 (±151) | 0.32 |
| Albumin, g/1, median (IQR) | 33 (29–35) | 29 (26–34) | 0.03 |
| ESR, mm/h, mean (SD) | 73 (± 25) | 77 (± 29) | 0.38 |
| CRP, mg/1, mean (SD) | 83 (± 52) | 116 (±74) | 0.002 |
*
Data available for 57 cases and 60 controls. GCA: giant cell arteritis; PMR: polymyalgia rheumatica; IQR: interquartile range; ACE/ARB: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blockers; NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; NA: not applicable.