A disease of old people, which often affects the arteries in the scalp.
Chronic inflammation of large and medium arteries, usually in the head and neck, less commonly throughout the body; also known as temporal or cranial arteritis. The disease takes its name from the extremely large cells that develop in the inflamed blood vessels. Symptoms resulting from the inflammation include fever, headache, scalp tenderness, jaw pain, double vision or blindness, weakness, loss of appetite and weight, muscle aches, and excessive sweating. The cause of giant cell arteritis is unknown, but it is thought to result from a disorder of the immune system. Treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medications, such as aspirin and corticosteroids.
Also known as temporal arteritis, this condition entails the inflammation of the temporal arteries. In cases where the inflammation affects the ophthalmic artery, it can result in visual impairment or blindness.