How to manage giant cell arteritis

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis in adults over 50 years, which requires an urgent treatment with corticosteroids to reduce ischemic complications. Because of their side-effects, a valid diagnosis is necessary. Histological confirmation remains the gold-standard but non-invasive imaging along specific clinical criteria can nowadays diagnose GCA, particularly temporal artery ultrasound. Alternatives to corticosteroids are being studied and recently, the addition of tocilizumab to corticosteroids has been validated by international institutions and is approved by Swissmedic. Similarly to tocilizumab, methotrexate has been shown to decrease the total dose of corticosteroids and the number of relapses. We will also discuss newer potential therapies (abatacept and ustekinumab).