Clinical characteristics of the patients with and without GCA
| Demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics | TMI | ILA | NEG |
| Number | 42 | 7 | 7 |
| Age at disease onset, median (IQR), years | 78 (69–80) | 70 (65–82) | 75 (68–78) |
| Males/females, n | 9/33 | 3/4 | 4/3 |
| Any cranial symptoms*, n (%) | 41 (98) | 7 (100) | 5 (71) |
| Any visual symptoms†, n (%) | 8 (19) | 3 (43) | 3 (43) |
| Systemic signs/symptoms‡, n (%) | 31 (74) | 4 (57) | 3 (43) |
| Polymyalgia rheumatica, n (%) | 13 (31) | 1 (14) | 2 (29) |
| ESR, median (IQR), mm/hour | 90 (74–116) | 38 (7–102) | 30 (24–44) |
| CRP, median (IQR), mg/dL§ | 8.35 (3.83–15.70) | 6.73 (1.63–13.18) | 1.06 (0.22–1.41) |
| Prednisone at TABs, n (%) | 0 (0) | 4 (57) | 0 (0) |
*At least one of the following: headache, scalp tenderness, jaw claudication.
†At least one of the following: sight loss, diplopia, amaurosis fugax.
‡At least one of the following: fever, fatigue, anorexia, weight loss of at least 4 kg.
§Upper limit of the normal reference range=0.5 mg/dL.
CRP, C reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; GCA, giant cell arteritis; ILA, inflammation limited to adventitia; NEG, normal temporal artery biopsies without inflammation from patients without GCA; TAB, temporal artery biopsy; TMI, transmural inflammation.