RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A stroke of bad luck
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 685
OP 687
DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.14-6-685
VO 14
IS 6
A1 Subramaniam Nagasayi
A1 Susan White
A1 Yogesh Joshi
YR 2014
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/14/6/685.abstract
AB Giant cell arteritis is a common cause of headache in patients aged more than 50 years. It is an easy diagnosis to make if classical features, ie temporal headache, jaw claudication, visual symptoms, systemic symptoms of fever or weight loss with high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and anemia, are present. However, it may present atypically and stroke can be the presenting feature. A high index of suspicion is needed in atypical presentations such as stroke. Once a diagnosis is suspected it is imperative to start high dose steroids to prevent visual and neurological complications.