Temporal artery biopsy: are we doing it right?

Purpose: Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) is the gold standard for diagnosing temporal arteritis; however, sensitivity is relatively poor (30-40 per cent). The British Society of Rheumatology (BSR) guidelines state two major factors that can improve sensitivity: TAB specimen size > 10mm; and pre-biopsy steroid treatment < 7 days. Owing to the low sensitivity, TA treatment is often commenced/continued despite negative histology.