Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (30)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Petursdottir, V.
Right arrow Articles by Nordborg, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Petursdottir, V.
Right arrow Articles by Nordborg, C.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Rheumatology 1999; 38: 1208-1212
© 1999 British Society for Rheumatology

The epidemiology of biopsy-positive giant cell arteritis: special reference to cyclic fluctuations

V. Petursdottir, H. Johansson, E. Nordborg1 and C. Nordborg

Departments of Clinical Pathology and
1 Rheumatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden

Correspondence to: V. Petursdottir, Department of Clinical Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden.

Objective.The aim of this work was to study changes in the incidence of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) over a period of 20 yr in Göteborg, Sweden.

Methods.All cases of biopsy-verified GCA between 1976 and 1995 were included in the study. The annual incidence was calculated for the whole material, for women and men separately, and its fluctuations were tested statistically. In addition, the monthly variation during the last 9 yr could be statistically analysed for the whole material.

Results.In total, 665 patients were diagnosed with biopsy-verified GCA during the 20 yr period. The average annual incidence was 22.2/100000 inhabitants over 50 yr of age (women 29.8, men 12.5). The annual incidence increased significantly with time (P<0.001) for both men and women. Statistical analysis did not reveal any cyclic fluctuation in the annual incidence (P=0.26), while the monthly number of positive biopsies showed significant fluctuation with peaks in late winter and autumn (P=0.041).

Conclusions.The annual incidence of biopsy-positive GCA increased during the years 1976 through 1995. The significant seasonal variation, as well as considerable variation in annual incidence, might be due to the influence of exogenous triggering factors, such as infections. Further support for an exogenous aetiology, in terms of a statistically significant cyclic fluctuation of the annual incidence, was not found, however.

KEY WORDS: Giant cell arteritis, Epidemiology, Incidence, Infections, Periodicity


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
C. Nordborg, H. Johansson, V. Petursdottir, and E. Nordborg
The epidemiology of biopsy-positive giant cell arteritis: special reference to changes in the age of the population
Rheumatology, April 1, 2003; 42(4): 549 - 552.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
E. Nordborg and C. Nordborg
Giant cell arteritis: epidemiological clues to its pathogenesis and an update on its treatment
Rheumatology, March 1, 2003; 42(3): 413 - 421.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NEJMHome page
W. F.C. Rigby, C.-M. Fan, and E. J. Mark
Case 39-2002 - A 35-Year-Old Man with Headache, Deviation of the Tongue, and Unusual Radiographic Abnormalities
N. Engl. J. Med., December 19, 2002; 347(25): 2057 - 2065.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 JAMAHome page
G. W. Smetana and R. H. Shmerling
Does This Patient Have Temporal Arteritis?
JAMA, January 2, 2002; 287(1): 92 - 101.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann Rheum DisHome page
M A Gonzalez-Gay, C Garcia-Porrua, M J Rivas, P Rodriguez-Ledo, and J Llorca
Epidemiology of biopsy proven giant cell arteritis in northwestern Spain: trend over an 18 year period
Ann Rheum Dis, April 1, 2001; 60(4): 367 - 371.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.