Temporal Arteritis

Temporal arteritis1is a condition poorly understood, with an unknown etiology, a variable course and an unsatisfactory treatment. The term is a misnomer in that it is now believed to be part of a generalized cranial arteritis.2Severe headache is one of the most serious manifestations and often requires opiates for relief for a longer period of time than is desirable. Relief has occurred in many instances following the removal of a segment of the artery, done primarily to obtain a biopsy specimen Hoyt3said, From a practical standpoint, the most effective treatment seems to be the removal of a segment of the temporal artery. It was felt that this was due to interruption of the periarterial sensory pain fibers and suggested to one of us (A. M. R.) the use of a procaine hydrochloride block of the sympathetic nerve fibers passing along the vessels. The result