Bilateral vertebral artery occlusion without headache in giant cell arteritis

Abstract

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is well-recognized as an important cause of headache in the elderly.1 It is also an important element of the differential diagnosis for patients with transient or permanent visual loss. Delay in diagnosis of GCA can lead to blindness. Therefore, clinicians should be alert to atypical presentations in which headache is either not prominent or absent. We present a patient with GCA who had a cerebellar stroke and severe posterior circulation occlusive disease without headache.