Dorra M, Piette A M, Dechy H, Betourne C
Sem Hop. 1984 Apr 12;60(16):1137-8.
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.
