Giant Cell Arteritis: The Daily PANCE Blueprint
A 55-year-old female presents with right-sided headaches, jaw pain upon chewing, and mild dizziness for the past few months. On physical exam, the right temporal artery is tender to palpation. Labs reveal an elevated ESR and CRP. What is the definitive diagnosis for this condition?
A. CT head
B. Temporal artery biopsy
C. PET scan
D. Ultrasound
E. IgA antibody level
Answer and topic summary
The answer is B. Temporal artery biopsy
The patient has temporal arteritis, which is a vasculitis of large and medium vessels. Clinical features often include fever, fatigue, weight loss, headache, jaw claudication, and transient vision loss. The typical clinical vignette is an older female presenting with a headache and jaw claudication. On physical exam, you may appreciate a temporal artery that is thickened, tender, or erythematous.
ESR and CRP are sensitive, but not specific for the diagnosis. The definitive diagnosis of temporal arteritis is a temporal artery biopsy. Treatment is high-dose steroids. It’s important that temporal arteritis is treated because it can lead to blindness, thrombotic events, and other complications.
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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:
Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint Cardiology ⇒ ⇒
Also covered as part of the Internal Medicine EOR topic list
