The Facts
Temporal arteritis is a poorly understood but very treatable disease.
In this condition, inflammation causes medium-sized arteries to become narrow,
restricting blood flow to some organs. The arteries most commonly affected are
inside the forehead (though not in the brain). Because symptoms are felt in
the temples, it's called temporal arteritis, or sometimes cranial
arteritis. However, the same syndrome can occur in other arteries elsewhere
in the body, so it is also known as giant cell arteritis. Giant cells
are immune cells found in high concentrations inside affected arteries.
Temporal arteritis is almost unheard of in people under 50 years of age.
Among people over 50, it strikes about one person in 1000 - in the general population,
that is 3 per 10,000 people. It is at least 10 times as common in those over
80 years of age as in those between 50 and 59 years of age. Temporal arteritis
is more common in women than men. People of African descent are rarely affected.
Temporal arteritis is closely associated with a disease called polymyalgia
rheumatica, which many experts believe is a different manifestation of the
same underlying disorder. More than a 40% of people with temporal arteritis
also suffer the symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica. Fortunately, the same treatment
is effective against both diseases.