Vasc Spec Int.  2020 Sep;36(3):163-169. 10.5758/vsi.200031.

Takayasu Arteritis Presenting as Bilateral Ocular Ischemic Syndrome

• Larrazabal Jr RB
• Chiu HHC
• Magbitang-Santiago AT

• KMID: 2507175
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5758/vsi.200031

Abstract

A 26-year-old female came in with progressive blurring of vision. She had developed memory loss and complained of headache, significant weight loss, and exertional left calf pain after prolonged walking. Pertinent physical findings included light perception on visual acuity examination, and the brachial and radial pulses of both arms were not appreciable. Thoracic and abdominal aortic imaging by computed tomography with contrast revealed narrowing along the thoracic aorta and its branches. Carotid Doppler showed bilaterally thickened walls in the common carotid arteries, with near total occlusion of the left carotid artery. These findings were consistent with bilateral ocular ischemic syndrome in Takayasu arteritis. She was given methylprednisolone 500 mg intravenously daily for 3 days with noted improvement in vision. She was discharged and showed improvement on prednisone 35 mg/day and aspirin 80 mg/day. On follow-up two weeks post-discharge, she reported being able to see silhouettes of persons and objects.

Keyword

Takayasu arteritis; Vasculitis; Retinopathy Received May 14, 2020 Revised July 17, 2020 Accepted August 2, 2020 Published online September 1, 2020 Corresponding author: Ramon B. Larrazabal Jr. Department of Medicine, Philippine Gene