Hello,
Temporal arteritis is also called
giant cell arteritis. It is a form of vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels). The condition usually affects people over the age of 50. If not diagnosed and treated quickly, temporal arteritis can cause damage to eyesight, including sudden blindness in one or both eyes, damage to blood vessels, such as an aneurysm (a ballooning blood vessel that may burst), other disorders, including stroke or transient ischemic attacks (“mini-strokes”).
The most common symptom of temporal arteritis is a throbbing, continuous headache on one or both sides of the forehead. Other symptoms include jaw pain, tenderness on scalp, fever, and vision problems. A thorough clinical examination is necessary for diagnosis and other tests like MRI, PET scan may be very useful.
The treatment options include oral steroids like
prednisolone, a new drug called
tocilizumab is available. The patient should not smoke, and alcohol should be kept to a minimum. So please see the physician on an emergency basis and get him treated to prevent further damage due to
poor blood circulation.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Pallavi M., Anesthesiologist