Man-in-a-barrel syndrome: a rare presentation of giant cell arteritis

Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2022 May;40(4):838-840. doi: 10.55563/clinexprheumatol/ey75u3. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Abstract

We present herein the case of a patient with brachial plexopathy, the first manifestation of giant cell arteritis (GCA). A 71-year-old woman presented with a subacute-onset weakness of her upper extremities; the patient had an initially good clinical response to steroid treatment. However, a few weeks after steroid discontinuation, she manifested fever and fatigue and increased serum markers consistent with a systemic inflammatory response. A PET-CT scan revealed an increased uptake in the subclavian arteries and a temporal biopsy was typical for GCA. Oral administration of high dosage steroids improved the patient's clinical symptoms and normalised her inflammatory serum markers.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers
  • Biopsy
  • Female
  • Giant Cell Arteritis* / diagnosis
  • Giant Cell Arteritis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
  • Syndrome
  • Temporal Arteries / diagnostic imaging
  • Temporal Arteries / pathology

Substances

  • Biomarkers