.26 Clinical Features In Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of giant cell arteritis (GCA).Methods: Patients diagnosed as gaint cell arteritis in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1983 to January 2008 were included in this analysis. The clinical characteristics of these patients were studied retrospectively.Results: Twenty-six patients in units were included. The ratio of gender was 1:1. The age of onset was 50～82 (65.77±7.34) years old, the most common symptoms were fever, headache and temporal artery tenderness. There were high ESR, high CRP, anemia, leukocytosis, thrombocytosis and hypoalbuminemia. Doppler ultrasound, CT or MRI could find the narrowing of the vessel lumen. Without Corticosteroid therapy could increase the biopsy positivity. Biopsy positivity correlated with PMR (P=0.02), ESR≥100 mm/hr (P=0.02). Corticosteroids remained effective in the treatment of GCA, which combing immunosuppressive agents had no statistically significant reduction in relapse of GCA. Without headache had higher rate of relapse. Infection was the main cause of death.Conclusion: GCA is the most common systemic vasculitis in the elderly. There was nodifference between male and female. Doppler ultrasound, CT or MRI could find the narrowingof the vessel lumen as the non-invasive ways. Biopsy positivity correlated withcorticosteroids, PMR, ESR. Corticosteroids was effective in the treatment of GCA.Headache correlated with relapse. Patient education was very important.