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JAMA. 2007;298(21):2536.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In a Clinical Crossroads¹ article published in June 2006, Dr Robert Shmerling, MD, discussed the diagnostic criteria and treatment options for temporal arteritis. The discussion centered on Mrs V, an active 81-year-old woman with a medical history significant for hypertension, multiple fractures, toxic multinodular goiter, lichen planus, and allergic rhinitis. Mrs V presented with a severe headache and described additional intermittent symptoms, including difficulty opening her mouth, pain behind her eye, and unusual lumps on her forehead. Her physical examination was normal and her erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 46 mm/h. A temporal artery biopsy showed active giant-cell arteritis with intimal edema and focal fibrinoid necrosis. Dr Shmerling recommended that Mrs V undergo a minimum of 4 to 6 months of corticosteroid therapy, extending to 1 to 2 years if necessary. At the conference, Mrs V wondered how long she had had temporal arteritis before it was diagnosed.

MRS V

I’m feeling better . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Nadine Farag, BS; Amy Ship, MD