DefinitionTemporal arteritis is inflammation and damage to blood vessels that supply the head area, particularly the large or medium arteries that branch from the neck.If the inflammation affects the arteries in your neck, upper body and arms, it is called giant cell arteritis.Alternative NamesArteritis - temporal; Cranial arteritis; Giant cell arteritisCauses, incidence, and risk factorsTemporal, 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 be