Giant cell (temporal) arteritis – a case report

U ovom radu prikazali smo slučaj bolesnice hospitalizirane zbog vrućice nepoznatog porijekla u koje je biopsijom temporalne arterije potvrđena dijagnoza temporalnog arteritisa. Bolest se klinički prezentirala vrućicom, glavoboljom i polimijalgijom reumatikom. Patološki laboratorijski nalazi uključivali su ubrzanu sedimentaciju eritrocita, trombocitozu, leukocitozu, povišene vrijednosti CRP i jetrenih transaminaza. Na liječenje kortikosteroidima došlo je do dobre regresije bolesti, a komplikacije nisu zabilježene iako je od početka bolesti do postavljanja dijagnoze i odgovarajućeg liječenja prošlo više od mjesec dana. Ovaj prikaz nas upozorava da infektolozi moraju pomišljati na dijagnozu temporalnog arteritisa u diferencijalno-dijagnostičkom razmatranju febrilnih bolesnika starijih od 50 godina koji se prezentiraju spomenutim tegobama.We report a case of hospitalized patient with fever of unknown origin in whom the diagnosis of temporal arteritis was confirmed by temporal artery biopsy. The disease clinicaly presented with fever, headache and polymyalgia rheumatica. The pathological laboratory findings showed accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, thrombocytosis, leukocytosis, increased levels of C-reactive protein and liver transaminases. The disease regressed after corticosteroid therapy, and no complications were detected although more than one month passed from the beginning of disease until the diagnosis was established and appropriate treatment applied. This case warns us that infectious disease specialists have to consider temporal arteritis in differential-diagnostics in patients older than 50 years of age with fever and described difficulties