Symptoms of Giant cell arteritis

Gonzalez-Gay MA et al. Arteritis: Disease patterns of clinical presentation in a series of 240 patients. Medicine 2005;84:269-276. Purpose: to characterize the clinical presentation in biopsy proven cases in a stable and homogenous population. Study in Lugo, Spain. Headaches were present in 86 %. Scalp tenderness was significantly more common in patients presenting with headache, as was abnormal temporal artery examination, 79.8 v. 35.1 %. 54 % of biopsy proven patients had severe ischemic complications within one month of diagnosis. An abnormal TA exam was the best predictor of severe ischemic manifestations, with an odds ratio of 2.25. Anemia was associated with a lower risk of ischemic complications.

Other
ESR>50 in 89 percent
CRP more specific not elevated randomly