Table 2.
Clinical picture at the time of diagnosis in the two cohorts: conventional approach (No FTA) vs. FTA.
| No FTA (N = 97) | FTA (N = 63) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoms at diagnosis | |||
| Constitutional (fever or weight loss), n (%) | 36 (37.1) | 28 (44.4) | 0.4 |
| Fever ≥ 38°C (≥100.4 F), n (%) | 32 (33.0) | 17 (27.0) | 0.4 |
| Weight loss ≥2 kg, n (%) | 13 (13.4) | 19 (30.2) | 0.01 |
| Any cranial symptom, n (%) | 88 (90.7) | 53 (84.1) | 0.2 |
| Any ocular symptom, n (%) | 37 (38.1) | 17 (27.0) | 0.1 |
| Permanent visual loss, n (%) | 26 (26.8) | 8 (12.7) | 0.03 |
| Amaurosis fugax, n (%) | 14 (14.4) | 7 (11.1) | 0.5 |
| Diplopia, n (%) | 4 (4.1) | 1 (1.6) | 0.4 |
| Jaw claudication, n (%) | 33 (34.0) | 29 (46.0) | 0.1 |
| Tongue claudication, n (%) | 1 (1.0) | 7 (11.1) | 0.004 |
| Scalp tenderness, n (%) | 5 (5.2) | 13 (20.6) | 0.003 |
| Headache, n (%) | 77 (79.4) | 45 (71.4) | 0.3 |
| PMR, n (%) | 48 (49.5) | 32 (50.7) | 0.9 |
| Increased ESR/CRP, n (%) | 79 (90.8) | 59 (96.7) | 0.2 |
| ESR (mm/h), median (IQR) | 82 (48–102) | 78 (63–96) | 0.5 |
| CRP (mg/L), median (IQR) | 35 (20–99) | 59 (24–98) | 0.5 |
| Anemia (<12 g/dL in females, <13 g/dL in males), n (%) | 38 (65.5) | 17 (77.2) | 0.3 |
| Hemoglobin, mean (S.D.), g/dL | 11.4 (1.6) | 11.5 (1.4) | 1.0 |
| Cranial GCA | 75 (77.3) | 52 (82.5) | 0.4 |
| LV-GCA | 22 (22.7) | 11 (17.5) | 0.4 |
| Ischaemic GCA | 28 (28.9) | 8 (12.7) | 0.02 |