Giant cell arteritis is an inflammatory vasculopathy of unknown etiology that typically affects the carotid artery and its branches. Symptomatic involvement of upper extremity arteries is uncommon. We report a case of a 70-year-old woman with polymyalgia rheumatica who presented with critical arm ischemia, constitutional symptoms, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Urgent revascularization by a carotid-brachial artery bypass was performed. Histopathologic evaluation of a specimen obtained intraoperatively from the occluded axillary artery confirmed the diagnosis, and corticosteroid therapy was initiated. Large-vessel vasculitis should be considered a rare differential diagnosis in occlusive disease of the upper extremity.
Keywords: Arm ischemia; Giant cell arteritis; Vasculitis.