Clinical, laboratory and ultrasound findings of patients included in the fast track pathway
| Total, n=58 | Patients with GCA, n=15 | Patients without GCA, n=43 | P value | |
| Age, mean (SD) | 74.7 (10.9) | 76.5 (10.2) | 74 (11.3) | 0.431 |
| Sex, no. of female | 38 (65.5%) | 8 (53.3%) | 30 (69.8%) | 0.249 |
| Baseline use of steroids, no. of patients | 28 (49.1%) | 6 (40%) | 22 (52.4%) | 0.410 |
| TA biopsy positive n=11, no. of patients | 3 (27.3%) | 3 (37.5%) | 0 (0%) | 0.491 |
| TA biopsy length (mm) n=11, mean (SD) | 5.5 (3.1) | 5.9 (3.6) | 4.7 (1.5) | 0.6 |
| 18F-FDG-PET/CT positive n=10, no. of patients | 5 (50%) | 4 (66.7%) | 1 (25%) | 0.197 |
| Fulfilling 1990 GCA criteria, no. of patients | 13 (22.4%) | 5 (33.3%) | 8 (18.6%) | 0.239 |
| Headache, no. of patients | 30 (51.7%) | 11 (73.3%) | 19 (44.2%) | 0.052 |
| Scalp tenderness, no. of patients | 4 (6.9%) | 2 (13.3%) | 2 (4.7%) | 0.273 |
| Jaw claudication, no. of patients | 10 (17.2%) | 7 (46.7%) | 3 (7%) | 0.002 |
| Visual symptoms, no. of patients | 10 (17.2%) | 5 (33.3%) | 5 (11.6%) | 0.055 |
| Fever, no. of patients | 7 (12.1%) | 2 (13.3%) | 5 (11.6%) | 1 |
| Polymyalgia, no. of patients | 27 (46.6%) | 10 (66.7%) | 17 (39.5%) | 0.07 |
| Ocular ischaemia, no. of patients | 3 (5.2%) | 1 (6.7%) | 2 (4.7%) | 1 |
| Abnormal TA clinical examination, no. of patients | 4 (6.9%) | 2 (13.3%) | 2 (4.7%) | 0.273 |
| CRP (mg/dL), mean (SD) | 4.5 (6.7) | 9.3 (8.8) | 2.7 (4.6) | 0.001 |
| ESR (mm/h), mean (SD) | 51.2 (33.7) | 65.7 (33.2) | 46.1 (33.1) | 0.075 |
| Haemoglobin (g/dL), mean (SD) | 12.6 (1.7) | 11.9 (1.6) | 12.9 (1.6) | 0.05 |
| Platelets 109/L, mean (SD) | 266.8 (96) | 307.5 (104.1) | 252.2 (89.7) | 0.081 |
| Positive US findings, no. of patients | 15 (25.9%) | 13 (86.7%) | 2 (4.7%) | <0.001 |
| TA positive US findings, no. of patients | 11 (19%) | 10 (66.7%) | 1 (2.3%) | <0.001 |
| Axillary positive US findings, no. of patients | 8 (13.8%) | 7 (46.7%) | 1 (2.3%) | <0.001 |
| TA+axillary positive US findings, no. of patients | 4 (7%) | 4 (26.7%) | 0 (0%) | 0.003 |
| Halo sign positive, no. of patients | 15 (25.9%) | 13 (86.7%) | 2 (4.7%) | <0.001 |
| Compression sign positive, no. of patients | 8 (13.8%) | 7 (46.7%) | 1 (2.3%) | <0.001 |
| Halo count, mean (SD) | 0.7 (1.4) | 2.5 (1.9) | 0.04 (0.2) | <0.001 |
| Halo Score, mean (SD) | 4.5 (8.7) | 15.8 (9.9) | 0.5 (2.7) | <0.001 |
CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; 18F-FDG-PET/CT, Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography; GCA, giant cell arteritis; TA, temporal artery; US, ultrasound.