Popliteal neuritis complicating temporal arteritis

Cranial nerve neuritis, and especially optic neuritis, are the usual forms of peripheral nerve involvement in temporal arteritis. A patient is described in whom the rare complication of popliteal neuritis, confirmed by reduced nerve conduction, was associated with temporal arteritis. Dramatic clinical improvement was achieved following five days with prednisone, 60 mg/day. The clinical and laboratory findings in this patient suggested two other diseases, periarteritis nodosa and polymyalgia rheumatica. This case stresses the problem of the classification of temporal arteritis and its inclusion in the group of the angiitides or among the rheumatic disorders.