The Causes of Temporal Arteritis

According to the Mayo Clinic, giant cell arteritis (also referred to as temporal or cranial arthritis) is an inflammation of the lining of your arteries. It most frequently develops in the head, particularly in the temporal arteries that split off from a blood vessel in the neck called the carotid artery. Corticosteroid medications usually offer prompt relief of symptoms and, in time, complete recovery is probable.

Effects

• Your arteries are pliable tubes with plump, elastic walls. Oxygenated blood exits your heart through your body's main artery, the aorta. The aorta then splits into smaller arteries that send blood throughout your entire body.

  The National Institute of Health (NIH) says temporal, giant cell and cranial arteritis develop when one or more arteries become inflamed and swollen. Swelling is most likely to occur in the temporal arteries, which extend from the front of your ears up into your scalp. Sometimes only part of an artery is affected by swelling.

Causes

• It isn't known exactly what causes inflammation in the temporal arteries. The NIH says it may be at least partially due to a defective immune response (how your body reacts to apparently harmful foreign substances).

  Temporal arteritis may also occur during or after a diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (an inflammatory disorder that causes pain and stiffness in the hip or shoulder area). The Mayo Clinic says about 50 percent of the people with temporal arteritis also suffer from polymyalgia rheumatica.

Risk Factors

• Temporal arteritis almost exclusively strikes people over age 50 (the average age at onset is 70). The Mayo Clinic says women are up to three times more likely to develop temporal arteritis than men.

  Temporal arteritis has been linked with severe infections and large doses of antibiotics. The NIH says some evidence suggests the conidition is hereditary.

Symptoms

• The most widespread symptoms of temporal arteritis are chronic and severe head pain and tenderness in both temples. Other possible signs include jaw pain, fever, weight loss and blurred or double vision.

  Complications of temporal arteritis can include blindness and, in rare case, stroke.

Treatment

• Immediate treatment of temporal arteritis is necessary to prevent permanent vision loss. The primary remedy is a high dose of a corticosteroid drug such as prednisone. Although your symptoms may lift in a few days, you may need to take medications for at least one or two years.

  The Mayo Clinic says a small study has shown that azathioprine (Imuran) may be helpful in the treatment of giant cell arteritis when used along with smaller doses of prednisone. However, larger studies are needed to verify these findings.

  The NIH says most people eventually make a full recovery from temporal arteritis, but the disorder may recur at some future point.