A Case Report of Temporal Arteritis

Abstract

Temporal arteritis, also referred to as giant cell arteritis, is defined as a granulomatous vasculitis in people age 50 years or older. We are going to report a case of temporal arteritis. A 67-year-old woman had a headache in the right posterior auricular area. The pain character was pulsatile, paroxysmal and lancinating. On examination her body temperature was 36.6 and allodynia existed in the C2 dermatome. No other positive signs were found. The laboratory results were as follows: white blood cells 7,000/, hemoglobin 9.6 g/dl, erythrocyte sedimentation rate 120 mm/hr, C-reactive protein 11.0 mg/dl and SGPT 33 IU/L. Radiographs of a brain CT, cervical MRI and cervical MRA appeared normal. A cervical epidural block and C2 ganglion block were done but effects were transcent. Temporal arteritis was suspected due to an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, anemia and old age. Prednisolone 60 mg/day was given and the patient recovered within 10 days. As a result, the diagnosis was made by a combination of clinical features, laboratory findings and response to steroids. The patient was sucessfully treated with a steroid.