Temporal arteritis with normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate |
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Authors: | T G Ganiats |
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Institution: | Department of Community and Family Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093-0807. |
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Abstract: | The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is used to differentiate temporal arteritis from other forms of headache in the elderly. Though temporal arteritis can occur with a normal ESR, this is not generally appreciated in primary care. The case reported here is a 74-year-old woman with biopsy-proven temporal arteritis; her ESR was 22 mm/hr. Of note, her hematocrit was more than 40 percent, a condition previously reported to be associated with temporal arteritis and a normal ESR. This discussion focuses on the diagnosis of temporal arteritis and its associated symptoms. |
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