Question

question 33 (mandatory) (2 points)
listen
a 75 - year - old male has had headaches for several months. on physical examination,
he has a prominent palpable right temporal artery that is painful to touch. the
biopsied segment of thickened temporal artery shows focal granulomatous
inflammation. this condition responds well to corticosteroid therapy. which of the
following complications is most likely in untreated patients?
sudden headache with blindness
malignant hypertension
hemoptysis
gangrene of the toes

Explanation:

The patient has temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis). Temporal arteritis can involve the ophthalmic artery. If untreated, occlusion of the ophthalmic artery (due to inflammation - related narrowing and thrombosis) can lead to sudden blindness. The headache is a symptom of the arteritis itself. Malignant hypertension is not a typical complication of temporal arteritis. Hemoptysis is more related to lung - related disorders (like pulmonary embolism, tuberculosis, etc.). Gangrene of the toes is more associated with peripheral arterial occlusive diseases like Buerger's disease or severe atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease, not temporal arteritis.

Answer:

Sudden headache with blindness