“The most feared complication of GCA is blindness, since GCA can cause inflammation of the arteries that supply the retina in the eye,” says Dr. Since the complications of GCA be quite serious if the disease is left untreated, thorough testing and accurate diagnosis is critical. And that’s not all: Other types of vasculitis, infections, some cancers, and severe atherosclerosis (a hardening of the blood vessels) are just a few of the illnesses that GCA can mimic as well. Since the illness occurs in older people, vision problems may be attributed to aging. Jaw and facial discomfort can lead to a misdiagnosis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis ( arthritis of the jaw). For example, the characteristic head pain may be confused with headache disorders. Pinpointing a GCA diagnosis can be tough, since symptoms resemble those of many other illnesses. Other symptoms may include (but are not limited to) dizziness and coordination problems, tongue pain, constant sore throat, and unintended weight loss. Jaw pain or cramps, especially when chewing or speaking.Vision problems, including double vision, blurred vision, or vision loss.Persistent pain or tenderness of the scalp, or in the area around the temples.Sudden, severe headaches, usually around the temples.Additional commonly reported symptoms are: Tedeschi, “which causes pain and stiffness in the shoulders and/or hips, usually on both sides of the body.”Įarly GCA signs include fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite, and often look like the flu. About half of people with GCA also have a condition called polymyalgia rheumatica, says Dr. Women are twice as likely as men to develop GCA, and the condition is much more common among Caucasians than people of other races. “GCA occurs exclusively in adults, usually at least 50 years old but often older,” Dr. Doctors aren’t exactly sure what causes GCA, but genetics and environmental factors likely contribute.Īge, sex, and race are risk factors for developing the disease. GCA is thought to be an autoimmune disease, which occurs when your immune system malfunctions and begins attacking healthy tissue. “ affects large arteries such as the aorta - the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body - and its branches, including the temporal arteries in the head,” she explains. When you have GCA, your blood vessels narrow, which can slow blood flow. “GCA is a type of vasculitis, an inflammatory condition involving the arteries,” says Sara Tedeschi, MD, a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Giant Cell Arthritis Causes, Symptoms, and Importance of Diagnosis Here’s what you should know about getting a temporal artery biopsy to figure out if you have GCA. Accurate diagnosis and early treatment of GCA can help prevent such complications as blindness, aneurysms, and stroke. It’s the best way to identify a potentially serious disease called giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called temporal arteritis. One type of biopsy, called a temporal artery biopsy, involves taking a piece of blood vessel from the side of your head. Biopsies can help diagnose cancer, liver disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and many more conditions. It’s a procedure during which a small amount of cells or tissue is removed from your body for examination. Odds are you’ve heard of a biopsy, or maybe you’ve had one yourself.
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