Common signs and symptoms of temporal arteritis include headache, scalp ten
derness, jaw claudication, anemia, and an elevated sedimentation rate (ESR)
. Severe complications can include blindness, retinal artery occlusion, and
optic neuropathy. While temporal arteritis may be suggested by patient his
tory, other causes that can mimic its presentation must be considered, espe
cially when visual loss occurs in the setting of a normal funduscopic exam.
We report a case of invasive sino-orbital aspergillosis that mimicked the
clinical signs and symptoms typically associated with temporal arteritis. A
high index of suspicion and appropriate radiological and laboratory studie
s prevented delays in formulating the correct diagnosis and treatment plan.
(C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.