A woman with temporal pain

Abstract

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a difficult diagnosis to make in the emergency department, requiring a temporal artery biopsy to confirm the disease. Here, we present a case of GCA diagnosed on bedside ultrasound in a patient with left-sided temporal pain, left-sided blurry vision, and a normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Of note, this patient was on anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, which delayed a biopsy from being performed, making the ultrasound findings even more significant. This case study suggests that bedside ultrasound can be utilized in the diagnosis of GCA, offering a quick, easy, and safe imaging modality that is available in many emergency departments.

Keywords:

• Giant cell arteritis
• halo sign
• headache
• point-of-care ultrasound
• temporal arteritis
• vascular ultrasound