Case Report

Giant Cell Arteritis – A Medical Emergency in Elderly

Miguel Ricardo, Ana Oliveira, Célia Cruz, Tânia Ferreira and Filipa Silva
World Journal of Medical and Surgical Case Reports 2017, 6:1

Abstract

Giant Cell Arteritis is the most frequent vasculitis in elderly and represents a potentially reversible cause of blindness in this population. The prognosis depends on how quickly the therapy is initiated, that is why a high index of suspicion is important to the diagnosis, allowing the immediate initiation of appropriate treatment. We present a typical case of Giant Cell Arteritis in a patient who arrived four days after the onset of symptoms in the emergency room. The delay in presentation may have dictated his prognosis despite prompt onset of corticosteroid therapy.

Keywords

Giant Cell Arteritis, Temporal Arteritis, Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

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