Abstract
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common systemic vasculitis in patients over 50 years. Classically patients present with temporal pain and visual disturbance, with less than 9% presenting with extracranial involvement. We present three cases GCA presenting with limb threatening ischaemia. Each diagnosis was made after clinical suspicion prompted measurement of inflammatory markers. Following treatment with high dose steroid each patient made a rapid and dramatic recovery and avoided unnecessary major surgical revascularisation or lower limb amputation.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.