Case 1 of 9NeurologicHeadache (e.g., migraine, tension headache)
A 55-year-old woman presents with a new, severe, throbbing left temple headache that has been constant and progressively worsening over the past 4 days, unlike any headache she has had before. She also reports jaw pain that worsens with chewing and improves with rest, new scalp tenderness when combing her hair, and a low-grade fever for the past 2 days. Over-the-counter analgesics have not improved her symptoms. Her clinical picture is consistent with giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis).
Question 1 of 28
How would you initially manage this patient's giant cell arteritis?
Select 1. (0 / 1 selected)
100%
ASumatriptan 50 to 100 mg by mouth at onset of headache
BPrednisone 40 to 60 mg by mouth daily, started before biopsy if clinical suspicion is high; order ESR and CRP (usually elevated), a temporal artery biopsy within 1 to 2 weeks of starting steroids, and a CBC (may show anemia or thrombocytosis)
CEmpiric antibiotics for presumed infection
DAwait biopsy results before starting any treatment
ENSAIDs only, defer steroids until biopsy is confirmed
Tip: right-click an answer (or press and hold on a phone) to strike it out. Drag over the question text to highlight it.