Giant cell arteritis presenting with pericardial effusion, hoarseness, and amaurosis

Introduction Although pericardial effusion is a common finding, in most of the cases, its etiology remains unclear (1). Sometimes, however, by using a multidisciplinary approach, a treatable condition can be diagnosed. Case Report A 68-years-old woman with a 1-year-long history of dyspnea occurring at minimal exertion and complaining of dizziness was admitted to our hospital. She reported a weight loss of 66 lbs (30 kg) in a year. Diffuse articular complaints were intermittently present. No fever, nocturnal sweating, headache, or any other symptoms were present. Her physical examination was unremarkable, and no tenderness or enlargement of the temporal artery could be detected. The year before, due to difficulty at breathing, an emergency chest computed tomography (CT) was performed in this patient. An intramural hematoma of the ascending aorta was described, which was treated conservatively. During the same year, the hoarseness occurred. Left-sided recurrent nerve paralysis was discovered, and endoscopic arytenoid lateropexy was performed. The patient’s medical history was remarkable for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cataract on both eyes. Despite the cataract extraction, her left eye’s visual acuity remained restricted for 4 years. These symptoms could point toward several different diseases, such as cardiac failure, coronary disease, aortic dissection, renal disease, malignancy, autoimmune disease, and panic syndrome