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Abstract
Relation of the temporal artery biopsy in the diagnosis of gigant cell arteritis and its clinic manifestations Objectives:to determine the role of temporal artery biopsies in the diagnosis of temporal arteritis and to assess the efficacy of ACRcriteria in the recognition of this disease. Material and methods: a retrospective, descriptive, observational study wasperformed. A total of 40 reports of temporal artery biopsies were reviewed at the Pathology service of our institutionbetween 2000 and 2008. These results were correlated with clinical and laboratory findings. Results: 43% of biopsieswere positive for giant cell arteritis, while 57% did not meet histological criteria for giant cell arteritis. By applying thediagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology, 65% of patients met the criteria for giant cell arteritis. Ofthese 26 individuals, 61% had positive biopsies, while the rest had negative results. From the patients who did not meetAmerican criteria, only one had a positive biopsy. If we take the parameters of the American College of Rheumatologycriteria for diagnosing the disease and compared them with the biopsy, we see that they have a sensitivity of 94% anda specificity of 56%; a positive predictive value of 61% and a negative predictive value of 93%. The main predictors ofpositive biopsy were jaw claudication (OR: 6.76), visual disorders (OR: 1.98) and abnormalities on physical examinationof temporal arteries (OR: 2.77). Discusion: giant cell arteritis diagnosis mainly arises from the clinical suspicion and isnot always confirmed by histopathology. It is important to reach its diagnosis because of the risk, primarily visual, thatlies in not starting the steroid treatment as early as possible. (MÉD.UIS. 2011;24(2);159-63).Keywords: Giant cell arteritis. Biopsy. Polymyalgia rheumatic.
References
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