FATAL VERTEBRAL GIANT-CELL ARTERITIS

Death due to giant cell arteritis (GCA) is rare, and is usually caused by coronary or vertebral arteritis in the acute phase of the disease. A case of fatal GCA is reported in a woman with a normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate, who had been treated for temporal arteritis for ei ght months. Post mortem examination showed a dissection and thrombosis of the intracranial portion of the left vertebral artery caused by gi ant cell arteritis. Focal coronary artery GCA was also found. As far a s is known, this is the only case in which dissection of the vertebral artery attributable to GCA has been reported.