Giant cell arteritis of the posterior cerebral circulation presenting with ataxia and ophthalmoplegia

M. L. Monteiro, J. R. Coppeto and P. Greco

Two patients had truncal ataxia, upbeat nystagmus, and upgaze palsy. Initially, a paraneoplastic disorder was suspected, but a temporal artery biopsy revealed giant cell arteritis (GCA). This unusual clinical manifestation of GCA probably resulted from thromboembolic complications of vertebral arteritis.