My GCA has been in remission for a couple years using maintenance 1 mg prednisone. In latter months of 2021 my weight dropped 12 lb, fatigue increased
and CRP & ESR showed modest increases from my normal CRP of 3 mg/L & ESR
of 12. and i started getting ulcer sores on lower legs. I tried reducing the pred to
0.5 mg and ulcers got worse and now blisters appeared to 3" size with swelling. My CRP rose to 8.9 mg/L & ESR rose to 20, so increased the prednisone to 5 mg/day, saw my rheumy who confirmed the GCA flare, and wound care from the vascular surgery PT. After 2 weeks my CRP dropped back to 3.4 mg/L & ESR to 12 confirming the GCA flare diagnosis. My rheumy thinks the lower leg problem is venous stasis and little to do with GCA. However the Mayo Clinic published an article connecting the GCA flare to Lower Extremity Vasculitis
"Lower Extremity Vasculitis in Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis
Tanaz A. Kermani, MD and Kenneth J. Warrington, MD
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Recent findings—Imaging studies in GCA and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) suggest that vasculitis can affect multiple vascular territories including the lower extremities (LE). The findings of imaging studies, clinical features and outcomes of patients with LE vasculitis are explored in this review. Possible mechanisms for the observed distribution of vessel involvement are discussed,"
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Next the vascular PT will replace the leg wrappings with compression sox.
Ultrasound tests next month for DVT, Continuing 5 mg pred for around 6 weeks
and taper pred to 2-4 mg. THE QUESTION BEING IS THIS VASCULITIS OF LEGS.