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Giant cell arteritis and its treatment impact on people's lives because of symptoms, adverse effects of GCs and disruption to normal life. [38] People with GCA have previously ranked ‘losing sight in both eyes permanently’, ‘having intense or severe pain’ and ‘feeling weak, tired or exhausted’ as important quality of life domains ...
Sudden visual loss is the most common symptom in AAION, [1] and is most often accompanied by other symptoms of temporal arteritis: such as jaw claudication, scalp tenderness, unintentional weight loss, fatigue, myalgias and loss of appetite. [1] A related disease called polymyalgia rheumatica has a 15 percent incidence of giant cell arteritis.
GPA treatment depends on the severity of the disease. [8] Severe disease is typically treated with a combination of immunosuppressive medications such as rituximab or cyclophosphamide and high-dose corticosteroids to control the symptoms of the disease and azathioprine , methotrexate , or rituximab to keep the disease under control.
Arteritis is a vascular disorder characterized by inflammation of the walls of arteries, [1] usually as a result of infection or autoimmune responses. Arteritis, a complex disorder, is still not entirely understood. [2] Arteritis may be distinguished by its different types, based on the organ systems affected by the disease. [2]
People who have polymyalgia rheumatica may also have temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis), an inflammation of blood vessels in the face which can cause blindness if not treated quickly. [3] The pain and stiffness can result in a lowered quality of life, and can lead to depression. [1]
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common type of systemic vasculitis in adults. Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), headache, jaw claudication, and visual symptoms are the classic manifestations; however, 40% of patients present with a variety of occult manifestations. [9]
Giant cell arteritis is most prevalent in older individuals, with the rate of disease being seen to increase from age 50. Women are 2–3 times more likely to develop the disease than men. Northern Europeans have been observed to have a higher incidence of giant cell arteritis compared to southern European, Hispanic, and Asian populations.
“While studies vary as to the exact relapse rate of giant cell arteritis, relapse of this condition does occur. It most often happens at low doses of prednisone (<20mg/day), during the first year of treatment, and the most common signs of relapse are headache and polymyalgia rheumatica.