Περίληψη:
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a chronic granulomatous vasculitis of
unknown aetiology occurring in the older patients and affecting mostly
the cranial branches of the arteries originating from the aortic arch.
GCA is associated with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Clinical features
of the disorder include headache, scalp tenderness, jaw claudication,
temporal artery abnormalities on physical examination, vision changes,
and symptoms associated to PMR. Systemic manifestations include fever,
anorexia and weight loss while less rare manifestations are related to
the nervous system, the respiratory system, the pericardium and
extra-cranial large vessels. Here we report a rare case of simultaneous
pleural and pericardial effusion as the first manifestations of GCA. The
diagnosis was made with a temporal artery biopsy. Such a diagnosis
should, therefore, be considered in older patients presenting with
pleuropericardial manifestations, even in the absence of typical
clinical features.
Συγγραφείς:
Georgakopoulou, Vasiliki E.
Mermigkis, Dimitrios
Kairi, Ourania
and Garmpi, Anna
Tsiafaki, Xanthi
