Yonsei Med J.  2003 Feb;44(1):155-158. 10.3349/ymj.2003.44.1.155.

Is Visual Loss Due to Giant Cell Arteritis Reversible?

• Calguneri
• Cobankara
• Ozatli D
• Guler G
• Apras S
• Pay S
• Kiraz S
• Ertenli I
• Ozturk MA

• KMID: 1719085
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2003.44.1.155

Abstract

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a common systemic vasculitis with an unknown etiology. It mainly affects people older than 50 years of age and often presents with symptoms such as headache, jaw claudication, visual loss, polymyalgia rheumatica and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Established blindness is irreversible if the steroid treatment is not administered within a few days. Here, we report a case of GCA in a patient with a normal ESR whose left eye perceived just light at the initiation of treatment. Immediately prior to the combined treatment with high dose oral steroids and cyclophosphamide, the ESR level had increased to 80 mm/h and the vision improved after the combined treatment four months later.

Keyword

Temporal arteritis; cyclophosphamide; steroids

MeSH Terms

Administration, Oral
Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Human
Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use
Middle Aged
Recovery of Function
Steroids/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use
Temporal Arteritis/*complications/*drug therapy
Vision Disorders/*etiology/*physiopathology