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Magill’s Medical Guide, 9th Edition

Temporal arteritis

by Allison Dussault, , RN

Category: Disease/Disorder

Also known as: Giant cell arteritis

Anatomy or system affected: Blood vessels, circulatory system, immune system

Specialties and related fields: Geriatrics, rheumatology

Definition: Inflammation of the medium and large blood vessels that bring blood to the temporal area of the head; may also occur in vessels in other parts of the body.

CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS

Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to supply oxygen and nutrients to cells. A blockage of an artery can cause damage to the body and may even lead to death. The temporal artery is located in front of the ear and is a major supplier of blood to the head.

In some adults, the medium- and large-sized arteries in the head can become swollen and can decrease or block the flow of blood. The cause of the swelling is unknown, but it is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, where the body mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells, and may be triggered by a virus. Temporal arteritis is almost always found in adults who are older than 50 and is more common in women who are white. A person is more likely to get temporal arteritis if someone else in the family has had the condition.

The first symptom of temporal arteritis is usually a severe headache in the temple, which does not get better after taking pain medication. A person with temporal arteritis typically has pain in their jaw or other parts of their face and has some change in their vision. Almost half of the people who are diagnosed with temporal arteritis also have polymyalgia rheumatica, a condition where they are stiff in the morning and have aches in the neck, shoulder, chest, or hip.

People with this condition might also have a fever, feel tired, lose their appetite, or lose weight. While these symptoms are considered “classic,” 40 percent of people will experience different symptoms.

TREATMENT AND THERAPY

Temporal arteritis is diagnosed by a temporal artery biopsy, but most medical providers will begin treatment for this disorder if the person has symptoms because it is so important to start treatment quickly to prevent blindness. In addition to the biopsy, blood work may be done to look for an increased number of white blood cells (WBC) and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which are both indicators of inflammation in the body.

The treatment is high doses of steroids that are taken for a long period of time, sometimes as long as two years. The initial treatment is so strong that it needs to be given intravenously (IV) but the dose will begin to be tapered, or decreased, once the person’s symptoms go away and their white blood cell level decreases. Taking steroids for long periods of time puts a person at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis.

PROGNOSIS

Permanent blindness can happen if this disorder is not treated quickly. Long-term use of steroid medications help to make the bothersome symptoms go away, but half of the people with this disorder will have a flare-up within a year, even while taking steroids. Many people have to take steroids at a lower dose for several years to keep the symptoms from happening again.

See also Aging; Autoimmune disorders; Biopsy; Blood testing; Blood vessels; Corticosteroids; Fever; Head and Neck disorders; Headaches; Inflammation; Pain; Vascular system; Vision disorders

For Further Information:

1 

Firestein, Gary S., Ralph C. Budd, Sherine E. Gabriel, Iain B. Mcinnes, and James R. O’Dell. Kelley’s Textbook of Rheumatology. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier, 2012.

2 

Goldman, Lee, and Andrew I.Schafer. Goldman’s Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier, 2012.

3 

Halter, Jeffrey B., Joseph G. Ouslander, Mary E. Tinetti, Stephanie Studenski, Kevin P. High, and Sanjay Asthana. Hazzard’s Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Dussault, Allison. "Temporal Arteritis." Magill’s Medical Guide, 9th Edition, edited by Anubhav Agarwal,, Salem Press, 2022. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=MMG2022_1334.
APA 7th
Dussault, A. (2022). Temporal arteritis. In A. Agarwal, (Ed.), Magill’s Medical Guide, 9th Edition. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Dussault, Allison. "Temporal Arteritis." Edited by Anubhav Agarwal,. Magill’s Medical Guide, 9th Edition. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2022. Accessed September 16, 2025. online.salempress.com.