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Matters arising
Reduction of jaw opening in giant cell arteritis
  1. E Liozon1,
  2. M O Jauberteau1,
  3. K Ly1,
  4. V Loustaud1,
  5. P Soria1,
  6. E Vidal1
  1. 1Department of Internal Medicine, Dupuytren’s University Hospital, Limoges, France
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr E Liozon, Service de Médecine Interne A, CHRU Dupuytren, 2 avenue Martin Luther-King, 87042 Limoges, France;
    eric.liozon{at}unilim.fr

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.62.3.287-a

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    In the September issue of the journal, Nir-Paz et al described six patients who developed reduction in jaw opening in association with giant cell arteritis.1 These authors found that patients with such a complaint seem to have a more severe disease with a higher prevalence of eye involvement.

    Although the precise pathological mechanism underlying reduction in jaw opening is unknown, this symptom probably results, like jaw claudication, from partial failure in blood supply to masseter muscles. However, the value of jaw claudication as a harbinger of visual loss has been debated.2–7 We sought to determine, in a large series of patients with temporal (giant cell) arteritis, the prevalence and clinical associations of reduction in jaw opening.

    Between January 1977 and August 2002, 222 consecutive patients were diagnosed as having temporal arteritis in the Department of Internal Medicine. Clinical, laboratory, and pathological data were recorded prospectively before treatment at the time of diagnosis in 217 patients (178 biopsy proven), using a specifically designed, comprehensive questionnaire. …

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