THE YIELD OF TEMPORAL ARTERY BIOPSY AT RHEUMATOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT KING HUSSEIN MEDICAL CENTER

Background: Temporal arteritis is the frequent pattern of primary vasculitis. Clinical presentation is different, and its diagnosis is sometimes difficult. Surgeons are commonly requested to do a temporal artery biopsy, as the histological yield affects therapy, when the diagnosis is uncertain. Aim: To evaluate the need of temporal artery biopsy in Jordanian patients clinically diagnosed with temporal arteritis. Patients and methods: Our retrospective study included 17 patients, of both sexes and with a mean age of 67 years who visited the Rheumatology Clinic at King Hussein Medical Center, Amman, Jordan, during the period 2010-2015. Participants were scheduled for temporal artery biopsy with a diagnosis of temporal arteritis. The clinical and histopathological pictures were assessed. Results: Female to male ratio was 1.8:1, with a mean age of 67 years. Out of these, 10 patients (58.8%) demonstrated typical histopathological temporal arteritis. Conclusion: The biopsy outcome results after temporal arteritis suspicion is increased with few hazards after surgery. The histopathological diagnosis is helpful in deciding whether to proceed or to stop treatment.