Cranial/Temporal Arteritis

Posted by Loretta on August 14, 1999 at 22:02:42
Dear Doctor. I am trying to research my symptoms.  Dry eyes/ blurry vision/left sided facial pain/severe left sided headache/sore temple when touched and lil pus like things on my scalp that keep breaking.   I have brought all these symptoms up to my Internal med man and now have seen 6 eye docs.  The last one asked me if I had a sed rate done and I had.  In Normal range.
He plugged my eyes.  No help.  Still in a great deal of pain.
Question:   Can an Eye Doc tell if a person is suffering with cranial/temporal arteritis if the sed rate is normal but has many of the symptoms. Special Eye Instruments?  I fear for my eyesight.  
Thank You.  Female, 57 years old.

Posted by hfhs md - ni on August 16, 1999 at 10:08:44
It is unusual for temporal arteritis to exist with a normal sed rate, but not impossible (especially if someone is on prednisone).  The more definitive test would involve a biopsy of the temporal artery.  You should see a neuroophthalmologist for another opinion about the possible dagnostic options.  They can usually be found in most academic eye departments.