TEMPORAL ARTERITIS - COMPARISON OF HISTOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL FINDINGS

The aim of this investigation was to correlate the clinical and histol ogical findings in 85 consecutive patients with temporal arteritis. Pa rticular attention was given to a possible correlation between optic n erve involvement and the presence of giant cells upon histological exa mination. Severe ischemia as in anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and central retinal arterial occlusion was presented in 37 patients (43%) . Giant cels were definitely oberved in 32 biopsy specimens (37.6%) an d suspected in 11 additional specimens (13%): In 42 specimens (49.3%) no giant cells were present. Our study showed no correlation between t he occurrence of severe optic nerve involvement and the histological f indings with regard to giant cells. Statistical evaluation also failed to show a significant correlation between the frequency of pain and j aw claudication and the respective histological findings regarding gia nt cells. In the biopsy specimen of one patient, numerous eosinophilic granulocytes had infiltrated the vessel wall.