What biologic or conventional/synthetic DMARD would you use as a steroid sparing agent in a patient with GCA and a history of diverticulitis?

This is an important question. Both IL-6 inhibitors and JAK inhibitors have a risk of bowel perforation which is increased in patients with a history of diverticulitis, therefore, these agents must be used with great caution in such patients and alternative therapies are often preferred.

First, it's important to determine if this is new onset disease or a relapse. New-onset disease without large vessel vasculitis can be treated with steroid monotherapy when tocilizumab is relatively contraindicat...