Professional paper

Gigantocellular arteritis of the vertebral arteries as a cause of ishemic stroke

Irena Gašparić orcid.org/0000-0003-3036-0376 ; Opća županijska bolnica Požega, Odjel za neurologiju
Sandra Gašparić ; Opća županijska bolnica Požega, Odjel za patologiju
Nikola Gotovac ; Opća županijska bolnica Požega, Odjel za radiologiju
Goran Šantak ; Opća županijska bolnica Požega, Odjel za kirurgiju

Abstract

Gigantocellular arteritis, temporal arteritis or Horton’s arteritis is a systemic vasculitis and a chronic inflammatory disease of large and medium-sized blood vessels, especially the temporal arteries, the extracranial part of the carotid arteries, the thoracic and the abdominal arteries. Bilateral vertebral artery occlusion is a rare and serious manifestation of gigantocellular arteritis.
The paper reviews the case of a patient hospitalized three weeks after the onset of neurological symptoms, headache, vertigo, gait instability and sight loss. Pathological laboratory tests indicated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, elevated C-Reactive Protein, fibrinogen, thrombocytosis and leukocytosis. Clinical presentations, the course of the disease and a bilateral infarction of the posterior circulation confirmed by a brain computerized tomography scan, indicated possible cerebral arteritis, therefore corticosteroid therapy was introduced. The disease was complicated by the development of pneumonia, resulting in the death of the patient. A diagnosis gigantocellular arteritis of the vertebral arteries was definitely confirmed through autopsy and pathohistological analysis.

Keywords

gigantocellular arteritis; stroke; vertebral arteries

Hrčak ID:

152271

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/152271

Publication date:

29.1.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 2.731 *