Superficial temporal arteriography is used to diagnose cranial arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. The angiographic course and configuration of the superficial temporal artery was defined by injecting 23 arteries in a postmortem group, reviewing 100 cerebral angiograms, and comparing 34 angiograms in patients with polymyalgia or cranial arteritis. This artery has a tortuous pattern but can follow a nontortuous course, simulating the meningeal artery system. It does not appear to show any atherosclerotic changes; thus any angiographic irregularity suggests disease. The artery can be seen in 88% of cerebral angiograms with the continuous filming, magnification technique.