Table 4 Main clinical and laboratory data of the 54 patients without GCA (“controls”)

Number of patients

54

Age (mean y ± SD)

73 ± 6

Women/men (ratio)

35 (66%)/19 (34%)

Clinical features

 Headache

41 (76%)

 Temporal artery abnormality or scalp tenderness

5 (9%)

 Visual symptoms

8 (15%)

 Systemic symptoms^a

46 (85%)

 Girdle syndrome

24 (44%)

 Vascular bruit

2 (3.7%)

Laboratory data

 ESR (mm/h)

59 ± 26

 CRP (mg/L; ref. value ≤ 5)

26 ± 15

 Anemia (≤ 11 g/dl)

46 (63%)

 Platelets (× 10³ cells/mm³)

331 ± 149

 Raised ALT/AST^b

7 (13%)

 Raised alkaline phosphatase^b

6 (11%)