Table 1:
Characteristics of the Cohort including Temporal Artery Biopsy Results and Diagnostic Grouping organized by Time Period
| Period One 1950-1979 (N=63) |
Period Two 1980-1999 (N=111) |
Period Three 2000-2019 (N=130) |
Total Cohort 1950-2019 (N=304) |
p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: Mean (SD) | 73.6 (8.2) | 76.3 (8.0) | 77.5 (8.1) | 76.3 (8.2) | 0.005 |
| Female Sex: # (%) | 49 (78%) | 88 (79%) | 97 (75%) | 234 (77%) | 0.683 |
| Symptom onset to diagnosis (months): N | 62 | 111 | 130 | 304 | 0.138 |
| Median (IQR) | 0.9 (0.6, 2.0) | 1.0 (0.5, 1.7) | 1.1 (0.7, 2.3) | 1.1 (0.6, 2.1) | |
| Fever1: # (%) | 11/61 (18%) | 19/109 (17%) | 19/128 (15%) | 49/298 (16%) | 0.807 |
| Weight loss2: # (%) | 14/61 (23%) | 25/109 (23%) | 38/127 (30%) | 77/297 (26%) | 0.398 |
| Headache: # (%) | 45/61 (74%) | 80/109 (73%) | 92/129 (71%) | 217/299 (73%) | 0.913 |
| Jaw claudication: # (%) | 31/61 (51%) | 43/109 (39%) | 61/127 (48%) | 135/297 (45%) | 0.268 |
| Scalp tenderness: # (%) | 19/54 (35%) | 41/106 (39%) | 65/125 (52%) | 125/285 (44%) | 0.046 |
| Tender T.A.: # (%) | 5/38 (13%) | 39/100 (39%) | 36/122 (30%) | 80/260 (31%) | 0.012 |
| Blurred vision: # (%) | 8/61 (13%) | 13/109 (12%) | 32/127 (25%) | 53/297 (18%) | 0.016 |
| Transient vision loss: # (%) | 3/61 (5%) | 2/108 (2%) | 9/129 (7%) | 14/298 (5%) | 0.178 |
| Vision, permanent partial loss: # (%) | 8/61 (13%) | 5/109 (5%) | 6/128 (5%) | 19/298 (6%) | 0.054 |
| Vision, permanent complete loss: # (%) | 1/61 (2%) | 3/108 (3%) | 2/129 (2%) | 6/299 (2%) | 0.784 |
| Other visual symptoms: # (%) | 6/61 (10%) | 4/109 (4%) | 32/129 (25%) | 42/299 (14%) | <0.001 |
| Arm claudication: # (%) | 0/61 (0%) | 1/108 (1%) | 3/128 (2%) | 4/297 (1%) | 0.380 |
| Leg claudication: # (%) | 1/61 (2%) | 0/108 (0%) | 2/128 (2%) | 3/297 (1%) | 0.420 |
| Bruit: # (%) | 0/59 (0%) | 5/106 (5%) | 6/119 (5%) | 11/284 (4%) | 0.221 |
| Absent pulse: # (%) | 5/42 (12%) | 15/103 (15%) | 6/119 (5%) | 26/264 (10%) | 0.053 |
| PMR symptoms: # (%) | 14/61 (23%) | 35/109 (32%) | 38/129 (29%) | 87/299 (29%) | 0.448 |
| Other musculoskeletal pain: # (%) | 10/61 (16%) | 11/109 (10%) | 40/129 (31%) | 61/299 (20%) | <0.001 |
| Hemoglobin: N | 56 | 75 | 124 | 255 | 0.123 |
| Mean (SD) | 11.5 (1.3) | 11.9 (1.3) | 11.9 (1.3) | 11.8 (1.3) | |
| Sedimentation rate: N | 60 | 109 | 124 | 293 | <0.001 |
| Mean (SD) | 92.1 (19.6) | 73.8 (31.0) | 67.8 (31.2) | 75.0 (30.4) | |
| C-Reactive protein (mg/L): N | ND | ND | 104 | 104 | --- |
| Mean (SD) | 89.8 (83.0) | 89.8 (83.0) | |||
| Temporal Artery Biopsy Result | 0.002 | ||||
| Negative | 2 (3%) | 9 (8%) | 28 (22%) | 39 (13%) | |
| Positive | 56 (89%) | 96 (86%) | 93 (72%) | 245 (81%) | |
| Not performed | 5 (8%) | 6 (5%) | 9 (7%) | 20 (7%) | |
| Diagnostic Group | <0.001 | ||||
| 1 - Temporal artery biopsy positive | 56 (89%) | 96 (86%) | 93 (72%) | 245 (81%) | |
| 2 - Imaging positive with temporal artery biopsy negative or not performed | ND | ND | 15 (12%) | 15 (5%) | |
| 3 - Clinical diagnosis with both temporal artery biopsy and imaging negative or not performed | 7 (11%) | 15 (14%) | 22 (17%) | 44 (14%) |
1
Fever was defined as > 100 F
2
Weight loss was defined as > 5 pounds or > 10% of premorbid weight