Glossary for Giant Cell Arteritis Save

Jack Cush, MD

Aug 14, 2025 9:00 am

Dejaco and colleagues have published a glossary of terms often used in conjunction with giant cell arteritis. The glossary of definitions for 23 signs and symptoms of GCA was developed through a consensus process involving international experts.

"Despite the prevalence and impact of RMDs, HCPs, PCPs and the public have limited awareness of RMDs". Education and information are crucial to overcoming these obstacles. Having a glossary of GCA terms has numerous advantages: reduces errors/ambiguity, provides clarification and consistency, and improved communication and comprehension.

GCA core definitions of signs and symptoms were extracted from 11 randomised controlled trials of GCA and a consensus was developed by the Delphi method, resulting in these final definitions.

Six GCA signs or symptoms were previously defined. High level of agreement was reached on 23 signs and symptoms, with the following 12 considered characteristic of GCA: headache, temporal artery abnormalities, scalp tenderness, scalp necrosis, jaw claudication, tongue claudication, tongue necrosis, amaurosis fugax, permanent vision loss, fever, limb claudication, and blood pressure inequality.

These 23 definitions can complement inclusion criteria in clinical trials and other clinical studies, allow precise application of classification criteria, and lay the groundwork for developing response criteria for GCA.

Below are the results of this international effort.

Overarching Principles

All the definitions from this glossary refer to signs or symptoms not better explained by other clinical conditions (that is, they are primarily attributed to GCA).
The glossary should not serve to prevent patients who do not completely fit these definitions from receiving the necessary diagnostic procedures or therapies.

Glossary of Terms

Headache	New-onset pain localised to the head, not typical of headaches the patient previously experienced. The pain is usually persistent, continuous, and not easily alleviated by analgesics.
Temporal artery abnormalities	Any of the following features of a temporal artery: thick, firm, tender, or with a diminished or absent pulse.
Scalp tenderness	Pain/discomfort on touching the scalp, occurring on one or both sides, often elicited by brushing or combing hair.
Scalp necrosis	Ischaemic damage to the scalp marked by altered colour and compromised integrity of the skin.
Jaw claudication	Pain, fatigue, or discomfort in jaw muscles occurring when chewing and resolving shortly after chewing stops.
Tongue claudication	Pain, fatigue, or discomfort in the tongue when chewing or talking that resolves after chewing or talking stops.
Tongue necrosis	Ischaemic damage to the tongue marked by altered colour and compromised integrity of the mucosa.
Amaurosis fugax	Transient loss of vision in one or both eyes, without associated ocular pain, that is usually sudden and resolves within minutes or rarely hours.
Permanent loss of vision	Sudden and irreversible, partial, or complete, loss of sight in one or both eyes.
Fever	Temperature ≥38°C (100.4°F).
Limb claudication	Pain, fatigue, or discomfort in limb muscles that occurs with use and is relieved by rest.
Blood pressure inequality	A difference of ≥20 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure between contralateral limbs.

12 Additional Signs and Symptoms of GCA

Abdominal angina	Recurrent pain or discomfort in the abdomen, usually occurring or worsening after eating, considered due to vascular insufficiency.
Anorexia	Diminished desire to eat.
Blurry vision	A visual disturbance in which objects appear unclear, making it difficult to see things sharply. Typically sudden in onset.
Carotidynia	Pain or tenderness over one or both carotid arteries.
Diplopia	Transient or persistent visual disturbance in which an object is seen partially or fully in duplicate.
Dry cough	A type of cough not accompanied by expectorated phlegm, mucus or blood.
Hearing loss	Partial or complete inability to hear sounds in one or both ears. Typically rapidly progressive.
Odynophagia	Pain or discomfort with swallowing.
Peripheral arthralgia	Pain or discomfort in the joints of the extremities.
Pulse abnormalities	Pulse that is difficult to detect or feels faint when palpating arteries in the extremities.
Weight loss	Reduction of body weight of at least 5%.