TEMPORAL ARTERITIS

Course overview

TEMPORAL ARTERITIS (TA), ALSO CALLED GIANT CELL ARTERITIS (GCA) OR CRANIAL ARTERITIS, IS A SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY VASCULITIS OF MEDIUM AND LARGE-SIZED ARTERIES OCCURRING MOST FREQUENTLY IN ADULTS. TA LEADS TO ISCHEMIC OPTIC NEUROPATHY WITH POTENTIALLY IRREVERSIBLE VISION LOSS ON THE AFFECTED SIDE WITH POTENTIAL CONTRALATERAL INVOLVEMENT. LEFT UNTREATED, IT CAN RESULT IN MANY SYSTEMIC, NEUROLOGIC, AND OPHTHALMOLOGIC COMPLICATIONS. ALTHOUGH THE TEMPORAL ARTERY IS MOST COMMONLY INVOLVED, OTHER ARTERIES MAY BE AFFECTED. THESE INCLUDE THE AORTA AND THE SUBCLAVIAN, ILIAC, OPHTHALMIC, OCCIPITAL, AND VERTEBRAL ARTERIES. ALTHOUGH THEY DO NOT ALWAYS COEXIST, TA IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA. THIS ACTIVITY WILL REVIEW THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF TEMPORAL ARTERITIS, THE POPULATION MOST AT RISK, AND THE BEST TREATMENT APPROACH ACCORDING TO CURRENT EVIDENCE. THIS ACTIVITY WILL HIGHLIGHT THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN RECOGNIZING AND TREATING PATIENTS AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION.