Patients’ characteristics
| Patients’ characteristics | All patients (n=89) | Patients with GCA (n=58) | Patients without GCA (n=31) |
| Sex, no. of males | 26 (29%) | 15 (26%) | 11 (36%) |
| Age, median (range) years | 73 (44–96) | 74 (50–96) | 67 (44–90) |
| High-dose steroids started ≤7 days before baseline, no. of patients | 75 (84%) | 49 (85%) | 26 (84%) |
| TAB positive according to pathologist, no. of patients | 26 (29%) | 26 (45%) | 0 (0%) |
| TAB length, median (range) mm | 7 (2–20) | 7 (2–20) | 8 (2–13) |
| Fulfilling 1990 ACR criteria for GCA, no of patients | 72 (81%) | 50 (86%) | 22 (71%) |
| Any head pain present, no of patients | 85 (96%) | 55 (95%) | 30 (97%) |
| New localised head pain, no of patients | 77 (87%) | 48 (83%) | 29 (94%) |
| New generalised scalp tenderness, no of patients | 52 (58%) | 35 (60%) | 17 (55%) |
| Swelling over temporal artery, no of patients | 22 (25%) | 14 (24%) | 8 (26%) |
| Pain over temporal artery, no of patients | 49 (55%) | 29 (50%) | 20 (65%) |
| Jaw claudication, no of patients | 42 (47%) | 32 (55%) | 10 (32%) |
| Tongue claudication, no of patients | 3 (3%) | 2 (3%) | 1 (3%) |
| Any visual symptoms, no of patients | 47 (53%) | 30 (52%) | 17 (55%) |
| Reduced or lost vision, no of patients | 38 (43%) | 26 (45%) | 12 (39%) |
| Double vision, no of patients | 9 (10%) | 4 (7%) | 5 (16%) |
| Amaurosis fugax, no of patients | 2 (2%) | 2 (3%) | 0 (0%) |
| Anorexia, no of patients | 31 (35%) | 22 (38%) | 9 (29%) |
| Fatigue, no of patients | 65 (73%) | 42 (72%) | 23 (74%) |
| Fever or night sweats, no of patients | 38 (43%) | 25 (43%) | 13 (42%) |
| Polymyalgia, no of patients | 16 (18%) | 14 (24%) | 2 (7%) |
| Temporal artery thickening, no of patients | 28 (32%) | 21 (36%) | 7 (23%) |
| Temporal artery tenderness, no of patients | 50 (56%) | 29 (50%) | 21 (68%) |
| Temporal artery abnormal pulse, no of patients | 18 (20%) | 16 (28%) | 2 (7%) |
| Axillary artery tenderness, no of patients | 8 (9%) | 5 (9%) | 3 (10%) |
| AION*, no of patients | 15 (17%) | 10 (17%) | 5 (16%) |
| PION*, no of patients | 5 (6%) | 2 (3%) | 3 (10%) |
| RAPD*, no of patients | 7 (8%) | 5 (9%) | 2 (7%) |
| Ocular ischaemia (AION/PION/RAPD), no of patients | 19 (21%) | 12 (21%) | 7 (23%) |
| Ocular palsy*†, no of patients | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Bruits*, no of patients | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Stroke* | 2 (2%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (7%) |
| ESR, mm/hour,† median (range) | 34 (3–90) | 44 (3–90) | 9 (3–77) |
| CRP, mg/L,† median (range) | 46 (3–329) | 54 (3–329) | 13 (3–205) |
| Haemoglobin (g/dL), median (range) | 12.8 (8.9–16.0) | 12.0 (8.9–15.5) | 13.5 (10.1–16.0) |
| Platelets, 109/L, median (range) | 343 (126–661) | 363 (167–661) | 317 (126–522) |
Details of the 89 patients recruited in the TABUL study at Southend University Hospital, who underwent ultrasound, temporal artery biopsy and 6 months follow-up.
ESR was determined in n=57 patients and CRP in n=54 subjects. ESR and CRP were measured before initiation of high-dose glucocorticoid treatment. Haemoglobin levels and platelet counts were determined prior to high-dose glucocorticoid treatment or within 7 days after initiation of this treatment.
*Considered negative if not reported.
†ESR and CRP were not performed in every subject.
AION, anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy;CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; GCA, giant cell arteritis; PION, posterior ischaemic optic neuropathy; RAPD, relative afferent pupillary defect; TAB, temporal artery biopsy.