Giant cell arteritis

Giant cell arteritis, also known as temporal arteritis, is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the large and medium-sized blood vessels, most commonly the temporal arteries located near the temples, and predominantly affects adults over the age of fifty. It occurs when the immune system attacks the walls of arteries, causing swelling that narrows blood flow and can lead to serious complications including sudden and irreversible vision loss if the arteries supplying the eyes are affected. Common symptoms include a new, persistent headache, scalp tenderness, jaw pain while chewing, fever, fatigue and unexplained weight loss, and the condition is frequently associated with polymyalgia rheumatica, a related disorder causing muscle pain and stiffness in the shoulders and hips. Diagnosis typically involves blood tests showing elevated inflammatory markers, followed by a temporal artery biopsy to confirm the characteristic inflammation, though imaging techniques are increasingly used as well. Because the risk of permanent vision loss is high and can occur rapidly, treatment with high-dose corticosteroids is usually started as soon as the disease is suspected, even before biopsy confirmation, with the steroid dose gradually tapered over months as symptoms and inflammatory markers improve.