[Temporal arteritis without elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate].

Giant cell arteritis is a common disease in the elderly, and may cause serious loss of vision if treatment is delayed. A marked elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a typical feature of the disease, and diagnosis can usually be confirmed by a biopsy of the arteria temporalis. The article describes a patient who presented typical symptoms, but had a normal ESR. The diagnosis was later confirmed by biopsy. Several similar cases have been reported in the last 15 years, and it is therefore advocated that patients with symptoms indicating giant cell arteritis should be biopsied and treated with steroids without hesitation, even if the ESR is normal.