[Management of polymyalgia rheumatica and large vessel vasculitis]

[Hand ischemia and increased CRP level in a 75-year-old female patient]

The complexity of the diagnosis and therapy as well as the deficits in care are presented on the basis of the casuistry of a 75-year-old female patient with giant cell arteritis and a complicative course.

The Treatment of Giant Cell Arteritis in Different Clinical Settings

This paper aims to raise awareness of the different disease courses, comorbidities, and therapy situations in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), which require a differentiated approach and often a deviation from current treatment guidelines. With the approval of tocilizumab (TOC), which specifically binds to both soluble and membrane-bound IL-6 receptor and inhibits IL-6 receptor-mediated signaling, the spectrum of available effective treatment options has been significantly broadened. TOC yields an extensive range of possible applications that go beyond a glucocorticoid-saving effect. In this context, the treatment of GCA is dependent on the disease course as well as the associated comorbidities. The different stages of GCA in association to co-morbidities require a detailed treatment strategy.