REFRACTORY GIANT-CELL ARTERITIS WITH SPINAL-CORD INFARCTION

We report an elderly patient with aggressive steroid-refractory giant cell arteritis manifesting as myelopathy and bilateral visual loss whi le on treatment. Pathologically, spinal cord infarction was observed a nd was due to extensive necrotizing granulomatous arteritis of spinal arteries. Spinal cord damage in giant cell arteritis is rare. One prio r autopsy report of spinal cord infarction in giant cell arteritis did not identify vasculitic changes in the spinal arteries.