Liječnički vjesnik, Vol. 136 No. 9-10, 2014.
Original scientific paper
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH TEMPORAL ARTERITIS IN CLINICAL HOSPITAL CENTER RIJEKA
Katarina Šarić
Adriana Šemper
Felina Anić
Tatjana Zekić
Mladen Defranceschi
Srđan Novak
Abstract
Temporal arteritis is middle and large vessel vasculitis, that affects parts of carotid arteries. First symptoms are headache, weakness and tiredness. Later occur scalp sensitivity, lack of pulse and temporal nodes, visual disturbances, and claudications of jaw and limbs. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and biopsy of the temporal artery. First choice for treatment are glucocorticoids. The aim of the study was to show the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment and its side effects in patients with temporal arteritis in KBC Rijeka, using retrospective analysis. During the analyzed period 18 patients with an average age of 73 years were treated. 100% of patients had headache as a symptom, 78% weakness, fatigue and fever, 61% scalp sensitivity, 56% vision problems, 39% claudication, 27% nodes in the field of temporal artery, and 23% dizziness. In 62% of patients the diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy of the temporal artery. The initial therapy for all patients were glucocorticoids. Steroid side effects occurred in 67% of treated.
Keywords
Giant cell arteritis – diagnosis, pathology, drug therapy; Adrenal cortex hormones – therapeutic use, administration and dosage; Temporal arteries – pathology; Biopsy; Polymyalgia rheumatica – diagnosis
Hrčak ID:
172630
URI
Publication date:
29.10.2014.
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