Univariate analyses of 67 patients with late GCA to 130 with usual GCA (i.e., without a prior diagnosis of PMR/PA) involving baseline GCA features, treatments, and outcomes. Values are n (%) or mean ± SD unless otherwise specified.
| Characteristics | Late GCA, n = 67 | N Assessed | Usual GCA, n = 130 | N Assessed | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline characteristics | |||||
| Age, yrs | 74.6 ± 7.8 | 67 | 76.1 ± 7.4 | 130 | 0.21 |
| Female sex | 52 (77.6) | 67 | 88 (67.7) | 130 | 0.15 |
| Use of FDG-PET scan study | 19 (32.8) | 58* | 11 (21.2) | 52* | 0.17 |
| Use of any imaging study of the aorta | 30 (45.5) | 66 | 14 (11.8) | 119 | < 0.001 |
| Proven aortic involvement | 20 (29.9) | 67 | 7 (5.4) | 130 | < 0.001 |
| Typical cranial arteritis | 33 (49.3) | 67 | 80 (61.5) | 130 | 0.10 |
| Active PMR/PA | 37 (55.2) | 67 | 66 (50.8) | 130 | 0.55 |
| Masked/systemic GCA | 13 (19.4) | 67 | 8 (6.2) | 129 | < 0.01 |
| Headache of recent onset | 46 (68.7) | 67 | 114 (87.7) | 130 | < 0.01 |
| Scalp tenderness | 21 (32.3) | 65 | 62 (49.6) | 125 | 0.02 |
| Jaw claudication | 25 (37.9) | 66 | 53 (40.8) | 130 | 0.70 |
| Other jaw/mouth/throat problems† | 15 (23.4) | 64 | 26 (20.3) | 128 | 0.62 |
| Constitutional signs | 41 (62.1) | 66 | 98 (75.4) | 130 | 0.05 |
| Fever | 11 (16.9) | 65 | 54 (41.9) | 129 | < 0.001 |
| Ischemic complication, any | 18 (26.9) | 67 | 47 (36.1) | 130 | 0.19 |
| Visual ischemic complication | 17 (25.4) | 67 | 41 (31.5) | 130 | 0.37 |
| Permanent visual loss | 10 (14.9) | 67 | 16 (12.3) | 130 | 0.61 |
| Bilateral visual loss | 3 (4.5) | 67 | 7 (5.4) | 130 | 0.99 |
| Positive temporal artery biopsy | 47 (72.3) | 65 | 100 (76.9) | 130 | 0.48 |
| ESR, mm/h | 76.3 ± 28.5 | 51 | 87.9 ± 27.6 | 125 | 0.01 |
| CRP, mg/dl | 8.63 ± 6.32 | 58 | 9.66 ± 6.04 | 123 | 0.29 |
| Hemoglobin, g/l | 112.7 ± 14.3 | 51 | 115.1 ± 16.2 | 124 | 0.62 |
| Platelet count, g/l | 394 ± 105 | 48 | 450 ± 146 | 118 | 0.03 |
| Abnormal hepatic tests | 13 (31) | 41 | 45 (41.7) | 109 | 0.23 |
| Positive IgG aCL | 7 (29.2) | 23 | 34 (37.4) | 92 | 0.46 |
| Treatment/outcome characteristics | |||||
| Initial prednisone dose, mg/kg/d | 0.78 ± 0.18 | 67 | 0.78 ± 0.17 | 130 | 0.75 |
| Use of pulse methyl-prednisolone | 11 (16.4) | 67 | 29 (22.3) | 130 | 0.33 |
| Use of GC-sparing drugs | 17 (25.4) | 67 | 17(13.1) | 130 | 0.03 |
| ≥ 1 relapse or recurrence | 38 (57.6) | 66 | 73 (58.4) | 125 | 0.91 |
| Multiple relapses or resistant GCA | 17 (25.8) | 66 | 18 (14.9) | 121 | 0.07 |
| Late recurrences | 14 (32.6) | 43 | 23 (25) | 92 | 0.38 |
| GC treatment permanently discontinued | 29 (43.3) | 65 | 86 (66.7) | 128 | < 0.01¥ |
| Treatment length in recovered cases, mos | 34.3 ± 30.8 | 30 | 27.2 ± 22.1 | 77 | 0.35 |
| GC treatment > 2 yrs | 32 (61.5) | 52 | 51 (56.5) | 108 | 0.54 |
| Long lasting remission/recovery | 30 (44.8) | 67 | 77 (59.7) | 129 | 0.05 |
| Death | 8 (11.9) | 67 | 51 (39.2) | 130 | < 0.001¥ |
↵* No. patients diagnosed from 2005 through 2017, thus potentially assessable using FDG-PET scan.
↵† Includes reduction or difficulties in jaw opening, maxillary or tooth pain, lingual discomfort, ischemia, sore throat, carotidynia, dysphagia, hoarseness, and/or dry cough.
↵¥ These results may be related to unbalanced mean patient followup: 56 ± 48 months for late GCA versus 68 ± 51 months for usual GCA. GCA: giant cell arteritis; PMR: polymyalgia rheumatica; PA: peripheral arthritis; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; IgG: immunoglobulin G; GC: glucocorticoid; aCL: anticardiolipin antibodies; FDG-PET: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.