**8. Oceania**

The last geographic region to be discussed is Oceania, which can be hypothesized to most closely resemble findings from Europe. From 1992 to July 2011, 314 cases of biopsy-proven GCA in South Australia were studied, in which the incidence for people over the age of 50 was 3.2 per 100,000 individuals [26]. Most characteristics of the disease were in line with observations described in studies from Europe, including a similar mean age and female predominance. Seasonal variations were additionally perceived, with a greater amount of diagnosis occurring during the summer season.

Cyclical variations were similarly noted in a study conducted in Otago, New Zealand. Records of 363 consecutive patients who underwent temporal artery biopsy at Dunedin Hospital between 1996 and 2005 were reviewed, with biopsyproven GCA diagnosed in 70 patients. The mean annual incidence of GCA in Otago for people older than 50 years was 12.73 per 100,000 persons ≥50 years of age [26].
