Clinical Pearls and Myths in Vasculitis

Giant Cell Arteritis: MythConfronted with a patient with possible GCA at 4:OO PMon a Friday afternoon, the proper course is not to decidethat a temporal artery biopsy is unnecessary but rather tobegin corticosteroids at once and arrange for a biopsy thenext weekStarting corticosteroids without making every effort toconfirm the diagnosis by biopsy is a sin that often comeshome to roost only months later when the patient suffersside effects of corticosteroids and the next physician toevaluate him or her is left to wonder whether or not he orshe ever really had GCA at allIn such cases, the value of a positive biopsy is immense.