Giant Cell
(Temporal) Arteritis
Epidemiology and Etiology:
- Most common
systemic vasculitis in adults
- >50y (except
rarely)
Common sites:
- arteries in
the head
- especially
temporal arteries
- vertebral arteries
- ophthalmic arteries
- aorta
Gross features:
- nodular
thickenings with reduction of the lumen
- may have luminal
thrombus
Histologic features:
- granulomatous
variant (more common)
- granulomatous
inflammation of the inner half of the media
- mononuclear
infiltrate
- multinucleated
giant cells
- fragmentation
of the internal elastic lamina
- non-granulomatous
(less common)
- panarteritis
- mixed inflammatory
infiltrate
- lymphocytes
- macrophages
- neutrophils
- eosinophils
- healed phase:
- collagenous
thickening of the vessel wall
- organization of luminal
thrombus
Immunophenotype:
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Marker:
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Sensitivity:
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Specificity:
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Molecular features:
Other features:
- complications:
- thoracic aortic
aneurysm
- blindness
- responds to
corticosteroid therapy
References: