Temporal Arteritis Treatment in India

Sai Patel is a 68-year-old retired...

Sai Patel is a 68-year-old retired librarian who immigrated from India 40 years ago. He lives a quiet life, enjoying gardening and spending time with his grandchildren. For several weeks, Sai experienced severe, throbbing headaches concentrated on his right temple, scalp tenderness so bad he couldn't brush his hair, and intermittent jaw pain while chewing. He initially dismissed it as stress or a dental issue. When he began experiencing sudden blurry vision in his right eye, his daughter insisted he go to the ER. The emergency physician, suspecting Temporal Arteritis (Giant Cell Arteritis), urgently referred him to a rheumatologist. The rheumatologist confirmed the high clinical suspicion and explained that a temporal artery biopsy was the gold standard for diagnosis to prevent permanent blindness. Sai was terrified, both of the procedure and the potential loss of sight. The biopsy was performed under local anesthesia in a minor procedure room; he felt pressure but no pain. The pathology confirmed the diagnosis. He was immediately started on high-dose prednisone, which relieved his headache and scalp tenderness within 48 hours. His vision stabilized. Emotionally, he went from fear and confusion to immense relief. While he worries about the long-term steroid side effects, he is profoundly grateful for the swift action that saved his sight. He now sees his rheumatologist regularly for careful medication tapering.