LEG ARTERY INVOLVEMENT IN GIANT-CELL ARTE RITIS

The authors report the case of a woman aged 67 years who presented an acute ischemia of the lower limbs. A surgical exploration showed no at herosclerosis or thrombus. A biopsy of the femoral artery found an ext ensive mononuclear cell infiltration of the media and a fragmentation of internal elastic lamina. The diagnosis of Horton disease was consid ered and confirmed by the presence of clinical signs of polymyalgia rh eumatica and inflammatory syndrome (erythrocyte sedimentation rare: 75 mm). Corticosteroid therapy was started with success. A year after di scharge there was no recurrence of ischemic manifestations and the ery throcyte sedimentation rate was normal. involvement of lower limbs in Horton disease is rare and exceptionally proven. But postmortem studie s indicate that it is more frequent than previously reported. This dia gnosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any unexp lained case of peripheral vascular disease occuring in the middle-aged or elderly.