Steroid-sparing medications in temporal arteritis--report of three cases and review of 174 reported patients.

More than half the patients with temporal arteritis experience steroid-related side effects, which are associated with increased morbidity and may shorten life expectancy. We describe 3 such patients, and our experience in tapering their steroid dosage with the use of dapsone or methotrexate. Based on our data and the review of 174 reported patients, it seems that no definite recommendation can be drawn regarding the use of steroid-sparing agents in temporal arteritis. There is a need for large controlled studies of several potential agents to evaluate their role in the treatment of this disease.