Delay in Diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis in Veterans: A Nationwide Study

The initial diagnosis of Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is often challenging due to the nonspecific nature of the symptoms.1 Moreover, the elderly population invariably has co-existing symptoms that confound GCA diagnosis such as arthritis, dental issues, and a history of headaches. The United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA) holds the nation's largest electronic medical database.2 Consequently, we leveraged the VHA database to identify clinical factors that led to a delay in GCA diagnosis.