Temporal Artery Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis in the Emergency Department

Patricia Hernández; Nour Al Jalbout; Mark Matza; Minna J Kohler; Hamid Shokoohi

doi:10.7759/cureus.42350

Temporal Artery Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis in the Emergency Department

Cureus. 2023 Jul 24;15(7):e42350. doi: 10.7759/cureus.42350. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Authors

Patricia Hernández¹, Nour Al Jalbout¹, Mark Matza², Minna J Kohler², Hamid Shokoohi¹

Affiliations

¹ Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
² Rheumatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

Abstract

Giant cell arteritis (GCA), known as temporal arteritis, is a serious condition requiring immediate treatment to prevent complications. GCA can be difficult to diagnose, especially in emergency department (ED) settings where ophthalmology and rheumatology services may be unavailable. Temporal artery ultrasound (TAUS) is a valuable tool for diagnosing GCA. In the ED, TAUS can be used to quickly rule out GCA and avoid unindicated steroid treatment, which can cause serious morbidity in elderly patients. This article discusses the use of TAUS for evaluating patients with suspected GCA in the ED and its potential to expedite treatment and ensure appropriate, timely follow-up for patients with this potential vision and life-threatening condition.

Keywords: emergency department (ed); giant cell arteritis (gca); halo sign; point-of-care ultrasound (pocus); temporal arteritis; temporal artery ultrasound (taus).

Publication types

Review