Pleural effusion revealing giant cell arteritis.

Abstract

Pulmonary involvement is considered to be rare in giant cell arteritis (GCA), usually occurring in the course of the disease. We describe the case of a patient who developed left pleural effusion revealing GCA. Thoracic CT scan demonstrated an abundant left pleural effusion and a thickening of the aortic wall. The patient's condition improved rapidly, with regression of pulmonary clinical features and complete clearance of pleural effusion, after institution of steroid therapy. Our case report reinforces the possibility of unusual presentation of GCA; such a diagnosis should, therefore, be considered in elderly patients presenting with pulmonary manifestations, even in the absence of typical clinical features of temporal arteritis (e.g. headache, jaw claudication, blurred vision, scalp tenderness) or polymyalgia rheumatica.