Temporal, giant cell, and cranial arteritis occur when one or more arteries become inflammed and die. It most commonly occurs in the head, especially in the temporal arteries that branch off from a blood vessel in the neck called the carotid artery. However, the condition can be a body-wide (systemic) disorder, affecting many medium-to-large sized arteries anywhere in the body. The cause is unknown but is believed to be partly due to a faulty immune response . The disorder has been associated with severe infections and high doses of antibiotics. The disorder may develop along with or after polymyalgia rheumatica . Giant cell arteritis is seen almost exclusively in those over 50 years old, but may occasionally occur in younger people. It is rare in people of African descent. There is some evidence that it runs in families.
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