Two cases of recurrent stroke in treated giant cell arteritis: diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas.

It is not established whether the increased risk of stroke in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) is because of atherosclerosis, persistent arterial inflammation, or an iatrogenic effect of corticosteroids. This creates difficulties in choosing the most appropriate treatment. We report 2 patients with GCA who developed repeated strokes involving different arterial territories following initiation of corticosteroid therapy, despite resolution of cranial symptoms and normalization of inflammatory markers.