Will treatment with corticosteroids reduce the yield of a temporal artery biopsy or imaging in Giant Cell Arteritis?
Studies have shown that biopsies often show findings typical for arteritis after more than 14 days of corticosteroid therapy, although a biopsy should ideally be obtained within 7 days of starting treatment. Steroids should not alter the diagnostic yield of imaging (ultrasound, MRI, CT, or PET) so long as studies are performed within 1 to 2 weeks of treatment initiation. Therefore, glucocorticoids should not be withheld pending a temporal artery biopsy in a patient with a clinical syndrome consistent with GCA particularly if there are any visual symptoms.
