Temporal Artery

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — Temporal artery ultrasound and EULAR score are reliable means for diagnosing giant cell arteritis, Mercy Bechtold, MD, said during her presentation at Kiawah Eye.

All diagnoses of giant cell arteritis made through temporal artery ultrasound were unchanged at 1 month — and at 2 years, for those with available data — in a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Vascular ultrasound, using high-end equipment and optimized settings, may be an effective replacement for temporal artery biopsy as a first-line diagnostic tool in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis, according to a Danish study.