Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Giant Cell Arteritis
Giant cell arteritis is a disorder that causes inflammation of your arteries, usually in the scalp, neck, and arms. It narrows the arteries, which keeps blood from flowing well. Giant cell arteritis often occurs with another disorder called polymyalgia rheumatica. Both are more common in women than in men. They almost always affect people over the age of 50.
Early symptoms of giant cell arteritis resemble the flu: fatigue, loss of appetite, and fever. Other symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Pain and tenderness over the temples
- Double vision or visual loss, dizziness
- Problems with coordination and balance
- Pain in your jaw and tongue
Your doctor will make the diagnosis based on your medical history, symptoms, and a physical exam. There is no specific test for giant cell arteritis, but you may have tests that measure inflammation.
Treatment is usually with corticosteroids. Early treatment is important; otherwise there is a risk of permanent vision loss or stroke. However, when properly treated, giant cell arteritis rarely comes back.
It sits within Blood, Heart and Circulation and Immune System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Giant Cell Arteritis
189 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Open-label, Long-term Safety Study of Secukinumab in Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)Novartis Pharmaceuticals
- Tocilizumab Discontinuation Versus Dose Reduction for Patients With Well-Controlled Giant Cell ArteritisNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Kinetics of C-Reactive Protein in Giant Cell Arteritis Following Glucocorticoid Initiation: A Pilot Study (GIDEON)University Hospital, Limoges
- Halo Sign Vanishing Time After Steroids Outbreak in GCA PatientsCentre Hospitalier le Mans
- Studies of the Natural History, Pathogenesis, and Outcome of Idiopathic Systemic VasculitisNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
- Immunosuppressant Management in Rheumatology Patients Undergoing Elective Total Shoulder ArthroplastyNYU Langone Health
Research already completed
- Phase III Study of Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab Versus Placebo, in Combination With Glucocorticoid Taper Regimen, in Patients With Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)Novartis Pharmaceuticals
- Study of the Benefit of Early Treatment With an Endothelin Inhibitor (Bosentan) in Patients With Sudden Blindness Due to Giant Cell Arteritis: CECIBOCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice
- Abatacept in earLy Onset Polymyalgia Rheumatica: Study ALORSUniversity Hospital, Brest
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Giant Cell ArteritisAmerican College of Rheumatology
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell ArteritisNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Diagnosis and Tests
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP) TestNational Library of Medicine
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)National Library of Medicine
Related Issues
- What Is Giant Cell Arteritis?American Academy of Ophthalmology
- What is Vasculitis?National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Giant Cell ArteritisNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Giant Cell Arteritis. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Giant Cell Arteritis, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.