A 68-year-old woman comes to the emergency department due to an acute vision disturbance. She had an episode of dimming of vision in the left eye that occurred abruptly and resolved spontaneously in 20 minutes. For the past several weeks, the patient has had a dull ache in the left side of her jaw while chewing that resolves when she stops eating. She has also had malaise and hip muscle aches over the last several months. The patient has a history of hypertension and hypothyroidism. She is treated with prednisone, leading to marked and rapid improvement in her symptoms. Which of the following pathologic processes is most likely responsible for this patient's condition?

Question

A 68-year-old woman comes to the emergency department due to an acute vision disturbance.  She had an episode of dimming of vision in the left eye that occurred abruptly and resolved spontaneously in 20 minutes.  For the past several weeks, the patient has had a dull ache in the left side of her jaw while chewing that resolves when she stops eating.  She has also had malaise and hip muscle aches over the last several months.  The patient has a history of hypertension and hypothyroidism. She is treated with prednisone, leading to marked and rapid improvement in her symptoms.  Which of the following pathologic processes is most likely responsible for this patient's condition?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Giant cell arteritis is characterized by granulomatous inflammation of the media with intimal thickening and predominantly involves branches of the carotid artery, especially the temporal artery.  It is strongly associated with polymyalgia rheumatica; both conditions respond promptly to glucocorticoid therapy.

A 68-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Emergency Department Due to an Acute