Giant Cell / Temporal Arteritis
Giant cell arteritis also known as temporal arteritis is an inflammatory disease affecting the large blood vessels of the scalp, neck and arms. Inflammation causes a narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels, which interrupts blood flow. It is a serious condition and needs urgent treatment. (1)
The disease is commonly associated with polymyalgia rheumatica, a condition that causes pain, stiffness and inflammation in the muscles around the shoulders, neck and hips. As well as perceived muscle stiffness, other signs of polymyalgia rheumatica include extreme tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss, and depression. (2)
Frequently Asked Questions
Giant cell arteritis, also known as Temporal Arteritis, is an inflammatory disease affecting the large blood vessels of the scalp, neck and arms. The most common symptom being a “headache like no other”.
Very rare – It affects less than 1% of the UK population each year. (1)
Yes. If you feel you have some of the symptoms associated with this condition, please seek medical advice urgently as a delay in treatment can lead to serious complications. It is a serious condition and needs urgent treatment.
Caucasian women over the age of 50. (3)
Most common between the ages of 70 and 80 years of age. (3)
Common symptoms may include: (2)
Seek immediate medical advice. Normally, this condition is treated effectively with steroid medication. Treatment will often be started straight away because of the risk of vision loss if it’s not dealt with quickly.
Symptoms are often reversible with a prolonged course of steroids; however, they can persist for 1-2 years or longer. (2)
We recommend consulting a musculoskeletal physiotherapist to ensure exercises are best suited to your recovery. If you are carrying out an exercise regime without consulting a healthcare professional, you do so at your own risk.
The exact cause is unknown but is still being studied. It is thought to involve the immune system mistakenly attacking the artery walls. Several genetic and environmental factors may increase a person’s risk to develop giant cell arteritis.
This is not an exhaustive list, and, as detailed above, exact causes have not been fully established. These factors could increase the likelihood of someone developing giant cell arteritis. It does not mean everyone with these risk factors will develop symptoms.
In the UK, the incidence of giant cell arteritis is less than 1% and the highest incidence is in women aged 70–79 years. (12)
A blood test can detect if there is inflammation in your body by picking up on certain markers in the blood. If the blood test shows a high level of inflammation and you have the symptoms, then giant cell arteritis might be a cause of your symptoms. However, the blood test is not 100% specific for identifying giant cell arteritis as other inflammatory conditions will also have the raised markers in blood associated with giant cell arteritis. Some people with giant cell arteritis have a normal blood test. (9)
To confirm the diagnosis a doctor may take a small part of the temporal artery (a biopsy) to look at under a microscope. If you have giant cell arteritis a doctor may be able to see inflammation and abnormal giant cells in the sample of the blood vessel (artery) wall. (3)
Once symptoms have improved and you have received treatment you can return to normal life following advice from your treating medical professional Due to the time critical nature and risk of this condition, self management is not advised.
Most people with giant cell arteritis respond rapidly to treatment of certain steroids, such as prednisolone. However, relapses are common and occur in up to 50% of cases despite appropriate treatment. In general, treatment with steroids is usually needed for 1–2 years; in some cases, continued low dose prednisolone may be needed for several years. You may also be prescribed aspirin by your doctor, which helps reduce the risk of conditions like strokes and heart attacks.
Once symptoms have improved and you have received treatment you can return to normal life following advice from your treating medical professional.
The treatment options involve medical management and therefore urgent medical assessment from a doctor is recommended if any symptoms are experienced.
References
Other Conditions in Head, Neck, Neurological
