Temporal arteritis
Disease information
Temporal arteritis
Temporal arteritis
.
Inflammatory
disease
of the great arteries.
It is often associated with polymyalgia rheumatica.
It affects the arteries of the muscles, eyes and connective tissue. The involvement of the
temporal
artery is typical.
Sex and age.
It is
a
disease
that affects mainly women (4 out of every five affected) usually from the fifties.
Causes.
Autoimmune
disease
with inflammatory infiltrate of the arteries, of unknown cause.
Signs and symptoms.
Something of
a
fever.
Muscle
involvement, especially in trunk arms and legs:
Muscle
stiffness,
Dolores, especially in the mornings.
Pulsating severe
headache
(usually in
a
temple)
Redness, swelling and pulsating nodules along the
temporal
artery on one side of the head.
Loss of appetite.
Loss of vision.
Loss of force to chew.
Hypersensitivity of the scalp.
Risk Factors.
Female
.
Older than 60 years.
Prevention.
None.
Diagnosis and Treatment.
DIAGNOSIS:
History and physical examination by
a
doctor
.
Blood tests (sedimentation rate, white blood cell count and evidence of
anemia
)
Biopsy of the
temporal
artery.
TREATMENT:
Apply heat to the General painful side of the head.
You can use hot or
a
solar
lamp
.
Carefully
massage
the back of the neck and sore muscles.
Medication.
Your
doctor
may prescribe:
High doses of steroids until the acute phase.
This relieves symptoms dramatically, altering the inflammation that causes.
In the lengthy treatment with corticosteroids, the lowest dose that controls symptoms taken every other day reduces the complications of treatment, although not always possible.
Immunosuppressive drug - alone or with cortisone, if other treatments have failed.
These drugs involve additional risks, including widespread severe
bacterial
infections
.
Activity
.
Without restrictions.
Diet.
There is
a
special diet.
Advise your
doctor
if.
Have symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica and
temporal
arteritis
. It's an emergency!
The following occurs during treatment:
Fever of 38 degrees
C
.
New unexplained symptoms.
The drugs used in treatment can cause side effects.
Complications.
Without treatment:
Loss of vision. If it is affecting the blood vessels of the eye, is an emergency.
Allocation of vessels of the heart.
Stroke
.
Poor blood circulation in his arms and legs.
With treatment:
You may need drugs to steroids for many months.
The complications of cortisone in the long term are significant, including
osteoporosis
and peptic ulcer.
Forecast.
It can be cured, although there is the possibility of
a
relapse.
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