TY - JOUR
T1 - Large-vessel giant cell arteritis
T2 - A cohort study
AU - Muratore, Francesco
AU - Kermani, Tanaz A.
AU - Crowson, Cynthia S.
AU - Green, Abigail B.
AU - Salvarani, Carlo
AU - Matteson, Eric L.
AU - Warrington, Kenneth J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved.
PY - 2015/3/1
Y1 - 2015/3/1
N2 - Objective. The aim of this study was to compare baseline variables, treatment and outcomes in patients with large-vessel GCA (LV-GCA), primarily of the upper extremities, with those with cranial disease (C-GCA). Methods. All patients > 50 years of age with radiographic evidence of subclavian LV-GCA diagnosed between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2008 were identified and compared with those with biopsypositive C-GCA diagnosed in the same period. Results. The study included 120 LV-GCA patients and 212 C-GCA patients. Compared with C-GCA, patients with LV-GCA were younger [68.2 years (S.D. 7.5) vs 75.7 (7.4), P < 0.001] and had longer duration of symptoms at GCA diagnosis (median 3.5 vs 2.2 months, P < 0.001). A history of PMR was more common in LV-GCA patients (26% vs 15%, P = 0.012), but a smaller proportion had cranial symptoms (41% vs 83%, P < 0.001) and vision loss (4% vs 11%, P = 0.035). ACR classification criteria for GCA were satisfied in 39% of LV-GCA patients and 95% of C-GCA patients (P < 0.001). Compared with C-GCA, patients with LV-GCA had more relapses (4.9 vs 3.0/10 person-years, P < 0.001), higher cumulative corticosteroid (CS) doses at 1 year [11.4 g (S.D. 5.9) vs 9.1 (S.D. 3.7), P < 0.001] and required longer treatment (median 4.5 vs 2.2 years, P < 0.001). Conclusion. Although patients with LV-GCA had a lower rate of vision loss, they had a higher relapse rate and greater CS requirements. The ACR criteria for GCA are inadequate for the classification of patients with LV-GCA.
AB - Objective. The aim of this study was to compare baseline variables, treatment and outcomes in patients with large-vessel GCA (LV-GCA), primarily of the upper extremities, with those with cranial disease (C-GCA). Methods. All patients > 50 years of age with radiographic evidence of subclavian LV-GCA diagnosed between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2008 were identified and compared with those with biopsypositive C-GCA diagnosed in the same period. Results. The study included 120 LV-GCA patients and 212 C-GCA patients. Compared with C-GCA, patients with LV-GCA were younger [68.2 years (S.D. 7.5) vs 75.7 (7.4), P < 0.001] and had longer duration of symptoms at GCA diagnosis (median 3.5 vs 2.2 months, P < 0.001). A history of PMR was more common in LV-GCA patients (26% vs 15%, P = 0.012), but a smaller proportion had cranial symptoms (41% vs 83%, P < 0.001) and vision loss (4% vs 11%, P = 0.035). ACR classification criteria for GCA were satisfied in 39% of LV-GCA patients and 95% of C-GCA patients (P < 0.001). Compared with C-GCA, patients with LV-GCA had more relapses (4.9 vs 3.0/10 person-years, P < 0.001), higher cumulative corticosteroid (CS) doses at 1 year [11.4 g (S.D. 5.9) vs 9.1 (S.D. 3.7), P < 0.001] and required longer treatment (median 4.5 vs 2.2 years, P < 0.001). Conclusion. Although patients with LV-GCA had a lower rate of vision loss, they had a higher relapse rate and greater CS requirements. The ACR criteria for GCA are inadequate for the classification of patients with LV-GCA.
KW - Giant cell arteritis
KW - Imaging
KW - Large-vessel vasculitis
KW - Prognosis
KW - Treatment
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U2 - 10.1093/rheumatology/keu329
DO - 10.1093/rheumatology/keu329
M3 - Article
C2 - 25193809
AN - SCOPUS:84941619691
SN - 1462-0324
VL - 54
SP - 463
EP - 470
JO - Rheumatology (United Kingdom)
JF - Rheumatology (United Kingdom)
IS - 3
ER -