Abstract
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is vasculitis characterized by a granulomatosus infiltrate, that typically occurs in medium and large arteries. This systemic autoimmune disease can cause sudden and potentially bilateral sequential vision loss in the elderly. GCA frequently occurs together with polymyalgia rheumatica. Both are syndromes of unknown cause, but genetic and environmental factors might have a role in their pathogenesis. The clinical findings in GCA are broad, but commonly include visual loss, headache, scalp tenderness, jaw claudication, cerebrovascular accidents, aortic arch syndrome, thoracic aorta aneurysm, and dissection. Glucocorticosteroids are the cornerstone of treatment, but some patients have a chronic course and might need glucocorticosteroids for several years. Adverse events of glucocorticosteroids affect more than 50 % of patients. Trials of steroid-sparing drugs have yielded conflicting results. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of GCA recently has indicated new targets for therapy.
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Bosello, S.L., Gremese, E., Carbonella, A., Parisi, F., Cianci, F., Ferraccioli, G. (2016). Giant Cell Arteritis. In: Dammacco, F., Ribatti, D., Vacca, A. (eds) Systemic Vasculitides: Current Status and Perspectives. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40136-2_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40136-2_8
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