Giant Cell Arteritis with Aortic Involvement Leading to Cardio Vocal Syndrome (Ortner’s Syndrome)

Introduction

Giant cell arteritis or temporal arteritis is the most common large-vessel arteritis in Western countries, generally affecting patients over 50 years of age. In most cases cranial symptoms are present, however, exclusively extracranial manifestations can occur in up to 22% of cases.

The involvement of aortic and other large vessels (carotid, subclavian) is frequent in this context. The involvement of the adventitia of the artery is observed mainly by activation of dendritic cells generating a granulomatous inflammatory process in multiple foci with intense lymphocytic presence. The occurrence of thoracic aortic aneurysms is reported in about 20% of patients.

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