[Horton's disease: a too often delayed diagnosis. Plea for an early biopsy of the temporal artery].

Abstract

The diagnosis of temporal arteritis is made after a mean delay of four months. This delay is explained by the absence, in 50% of cases, of any clinical sign in the temporal area, the possible presence of alterations in liver function tests, and the frequency of anemia and loss of weight. These signs often suggest a mistaken diagnosis of hepatobiliary disease or cancer. The authors evaluate the cost of this delay in a personal series of 33 cases confirmed histologically. They recommend biopsy of the temporal artery in each patient aged more than 70 with a marked rise in erythrocyte sedimentation rate unexplained by an infectious disease or dysglobulinemia.