Temporal arteritis in Vest Agder County in southern Norway: incidence and clinical findings

Abstract

Objective: To determine the incidence of temporal arteritis (TA) in a population in Vest Agder County in southern Norway and to examine the frequency of disease related clinical findings in these patients.

Methods: Patients with TA diagnosed in the 5 year period from 1992 to 1996 were detected through a search in both clinical hospital databases and in a biopsy database. RESULTS. The mean annual incidence was 32.8 per 100,000 inhabitants over age 50 years and 29.1 for biopsy proven TA. All patients (n = 53) fulfilled the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for TA; 94% had a positive temporal artery biopsy, 85% had erythrocyte sedimentation rate > or = 50 mm/h, 70% had new headache, 57% had systemic features, 53% had symptoms due to polymyalgia rheumatica, and 47% had an abnormal temporal artery at examination.

Conclusion: We confirm that southern Norway has the highest known incidence of TA worldwide. The frequencies of disease related clinical findings were in the same range as found in other studies.