The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is associated with the development of visual complications in biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the potential association between levels of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and specific clinical features of giant cell arteritis (GCA), in particular, visual loss, in a series of consecutive patients diagnosed with GCA at the reference hospital for a well-defined population. METHODS: The case records of all biopsy-proven GCA patients diagnosed at the Department of Medicine of Hospital Xeral-Calde (Lugo, Northwest Spain) between 1981 and 2006 were reviewed. Clinical information and laboratory data including ESR at the time of disease diagnosis were assessed. RESULTS: Only 10 (3.6%) of the 273 patients had ESR <50 mm/h. Significant differences in the frequency of visual ischemic complications according to different levels of ESR were observed (P = 0.01), mainly due to an increased frequency of visual ischemic events in patients with ESR between 70 and 100/h at the time of disease diagnosis. Twenty-five (21%) of 120 individuals with ESR values ranging between 70 and 100 mm/h experienced permanent visual loss compared with only 10 (7%) of the remaining 153 patients (P = 0.0005; OR: 3.76 [95% CI: 1.73-8.19]). An ESR between 70 and 100 mm/h was the best predictor of visual ischemic complications (OR = 2.29 [95% CI: 1.16-4.55]; P = 0.03) and irreversible visual loss (OR = 3.58 [95% CI: 1.51-8.49]; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study show an increased risk of severe ocular complications in biopsy-proven GCA patients presenting with an ESR between 70 and 100 mm/h. Prompt initiation of corticosteroid therapy and close follow-up of these patients is recommended to minimize the risk of irreversible visual loss.

Cancer in biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis. A population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential association between giant cell arteritis (GCA) and cancer in a series of consecutive patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA over a 25-year period at the single reference hospital for a well-defined population. METHODS: The case records of all patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA at the Department of Medicine of the Hospital Xeral-Calde (Lugo, Northwest Spain) between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 2005 were reviewed. Information on cancer and cause of death over the extended follow-up was assessed. In all cases the presence of cancer was histologically confirmed. RESULTS: Cancer was found in 39 (15.3%) of the 255 GCA patients. Although 7 (18%) of the 39 patients had cancer either at the time or within the first 12 months after GCA diagnosis, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) due to cancer in patients with biopsy-proven GCA showed no increase (overall SMR 1.06 [0.65-1.60]; men, 0.81; women, 1.50). The time interval between GCA diagnosis and cancer diagnosis was 5.2+/-3.8 years (median 4.2 years; interquartile range: 3-7 years). When multivariate analysis adjusted by age and sex was performed, only the presence of dysphagia (adjusted hazards ratio (HR)=3.90; P=0.04), abnormal temporal artery on physical examination (adjusted HR=4.61; P=0.04), and anemia at the time of GCA diagnosis (adjusted HR=3.39; P=0.01) were associated with an increased risk of cancer over the extended follow-up. CONCLUSION: The results from this series do not support an overall increase of mortality due to cancer in GCA.

Impacto poblacional del dolor lumbar en España: resultados del estudio EPISER / Impact of low back pain: a multidisciplinar treatment

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