Effect of Previous Corticosteroid Treatment on Temporal Artery Biopsy Results
Authors: Antonio A. Achkar
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1998)

Letters1 March 1998Effect of Previous Corticosteroid Treatment on Temporal Artery Biopsy ResultsAntonio A. Achkar, MD, Gene G. Hunder, MD, and Sherine E. Gabriel, MD, MScAntonio A. Achkar, MDUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Pittsburgh, PA 15213Mayo Clinic; Rochester, MN 55905, Gene G. Hunder, MDUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Pittsburgh, PA 15213Mayo Clinic; Rochester, MN 55905, and Sherine E. Gabriel, MD, MScUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Pittsburgh, PA 15213Mayo Clinic; Rochester, MN 55905Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-128-5-199803010-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:This letter is in response to the letter of Dr. Ruiz-Irastorza [1] commenting on our paper [2], which was published more than 3 years ago. Dr. Ruiz-Irastorza describes our study as "inconclusive"; suggests that in two later reports [3, 4], we refer back to the conclusions of the original study as "unquestionable"; and describes this as "changing conclusions without changing evidence." These statements are incorrect.We believe that Dr. Ruiz-Irastorza misunderstood certain aspects of our work. We sought to determine the effect of previous corticosteroid treatment on the results of temporal artery biopsy. The study sample comprised ...References1. Ruiz-Irastorza G. Temporal artery biopsy and corticosteroid treatment: changing conclusions without changing evidence [Letter]. Ann Intern Med. 1997; 127:248. Google Scholar2. Achkar AA, Lie JT, Hunder GG, O'Fallon WM, Gabriel SE. How does previous corticosteroid treatment affect the biopsy findings in giant cell (temporal) arteritis? Ann Intern Med. 1994; 120:987-92. Google Scholar3. Gabriel SE, O'Fallon WM, Achkar AA, Lie JT, Hunder GG. The use of clinical characteristics to predict the results of temporal artery biopsy among patients with suspected giant cell arteritis. J Rheumatol. 1995; 22:93-6. Google Scholar4. Lie JT. Histopathologic specificity of systemic vasculitis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1995; 21:883-909. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Pittsburgh, PA 15213Mayo Clinic; Rochester, MN 55905 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByInflammatory and Infectious VasculopathiesDiagnosis and management of giant cell arteritis: Major reviewImpact of Temporal Artery Biopsy on Clinical Management of Suspected Giant Cell ArteritisCentral Retinal Artery Occlusion: Acute Management and TreatmentPolymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritisGiant-Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia RheumaticaWhen and how to perform biopsies in a patient with a (suspected) connective tissue diseaseHematogenous umbilical metastasis from colon cancer treated by palliative single-incision laparoscopic surgeryIs the halo always holy? Glucocorticoid impact on detecting cranial large-vessel arteritisPolymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritisClinicopathologic Correlations in Giant Cell ArteritisHow to perform and analyse biopsies in relation to connective tissue diseasesGiant-Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia RheumaticaCornelia M. Weyand, MD and Jrg J. Goronzy, MD 1 March 1998Volume 128, Issue 5Page: 410KeywordsArteriesBiopsyPathologistsSteroids Issue Published: 1 March 1998 CopyrightCopyright © 1998 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...