*Giant cell arteritis / temporal arteritis / Horton’s disease

Summary

Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) is a disorder that causes inflammation of arteries of the scalp, neck, and arms. It narrows the arteries, which keeps blood from flowing well. Giant cell arteritis often occurs with another autoimmune disorder called polymyalgia rheumatica. Both are more common in women than in men and almost always affect people over the age of 50…Giant cell arteritis is an inflammation of the lining of your arteries. Most often, it affects the arteries in your head, especially those in your temples. For this reason, giant cell arteritis is sometimes called temporal arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis frequently causes headaches, scalp tenderness, jaw pain and vision problems. Untreated, it can lead to blindness.

Prompt treatment with corticosteroid medications usually relieves symptoms of giant cell arteritis and might prevent loss of vision. You'll likely begin to feel better within days of starting treatment. But even with treatment, relapses are common.

(Autoimmune Association, 2023)

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of giant cell arteritis are head pain and tenderness — often severe — that usually affects both temples. Head pain can progressively worsen, come and go, or subside temporarily.

Generally, signs and symptoms of giant cell arteritis include:

• Persistent, severe head pain, usually in your temple area

• Scalp tenderness

• Jaw pain when you chew or open your mouth wide

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Unintended weight loss

• Vision loss or double vision, particularly in people who also have jaw pain

• Sudden, permanent loss of vision in one eye

Pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders or hips are common symptoms of a related disorder, polymyalgia rheumatica. About 50 percent of people with giant cell arteritis also have polymyalgia rheumatica.

(Autoimmune Association, 2023)

Diagnostic Criteria

Under Investigation

Study Classification Criteria

Under Investigation

Diagnostic Tests

Under Investigation

Organized Autoimmunity

(Alternative Autoimmune Disease Classification: FIEM, MIEM or BIEM, or FEM, MEM or BEM)

1. sex predominance (is an autoimmune disease primarily found in genetic Females, Males, or equally in Both?)

   1. Under Investigation

2. Inherited and acquired gene variations that cause increased susceptibility

   1. Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Associations

      1. Under Investigation

   2. Other Gene Variations (mutations)

      1. Under Investigation

3. Gene Triggering Environmental Exposures

   1. Infections

      1. Under Investigation

   2. Drugs

      1. COVID-19 vaccination (Mettler et. al found that COVID-19 vaccination had a lower adverse event reporting profile to influenza vaccination, as it concerns post-vaccination reports of Giant cell arteritis. Out of 1,295 ,482 adverse events reported with COVID-19 vaccination, 147 post-vaccination cases of Giant cell arteritis were reported and 9 cases of Polymyalgia rheumatica together with Giant cell arteritis were reported.)

      2. Influenza vaccination (Mettler et. al found that out of 317,687 adverse events reported with influenza vaccination, 78 post-vaccination cases of Giant cell arteritis were reported and 14 cases of Polymyalgia rheumatica together with Giant cell arteritis were reported.)

   3. Toxins

      1. Under Investigation

   4. Stress

      1. Needs to be assessed for each patient

4. Multiple interactive and destructive immune system pathologies

   1. Under Investigation

Tissue-Type or Cell-Type Attacked

Under Investigation

Treatment(s)

Under Investigation

Managing Specialist(s)

Under Investigation

Research Authors

Under Investigation

Research Institutions

Under Investigation

Average Time from Symptom Onset to Diagnosis

Under Investigation

Last Updated

July 06, 2023

References

Giant cell arteritis. Autoimmune Association. (2023, April 20). Retrieved July 06, 2023 from https://autoimmune.org/disease-information/giant-cell-arteritis-temporal-arteritis/

Mettler C, Jonville-Bera AP, Grandvuillemin A, Treluyer JM, Terrier B, Chouchana L. Risk of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica following COVID-19 vaccination: a global pharmacovigilance study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2022 Feb 2;61(2):865-867. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab756. PMID: 34626105.