Which of the following symptoms is NOT typical of Giant Cell Arteritis?

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In the context of Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA), which is a type of vasculitis that primarily affects the temporal arteries, common symptoms include headaches, scalp tenderness, and fever. Headaches in GCA are often severe and localized to the temples due to inflammation of the cranial arteries. Scalp tenderness is a particular symptom associated with the condition, where patients may experience pain when combing their hair or when pressure is applied to the scalp. Fever is also a symptom often seen in GCA, reflecting the systemic inflammatory response that accompanies this condition.

While patients might experience joint pain for various reasons, it is not a typical or defining symptom of GCA. Joint pain can occur for many other reasons, and when considering the hallmark signs of GCA, headaches, scalp tenderness, and fever are more directly related to the vasculitis process itself, while joint pain does not have a strong association specifically with GCA. Therefore, identifying joint pain as not typical of Giant Cell Arteritis emphasizes the need to focus on the characteristic symptoms that distinctly correlate with this condition.

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