Superficial temporal artery biopsy diagnostic for lung carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To report a unique finding of metastatic tumor cells in the lumen of a superficial temporal artery biopsy specimen in a patient with severe visual loss and optic neuropathy.


METHODS
Case report.


RESULTS
A 69-year-old man presented with anorexia, pancranial headaches, and acute unilateral visual loss. Ophthalmic examination showed a visual acuity of no light perception and an amaurotic pupil in the left eye. Fundus examination was normal. A superficial temporal artery biopsy, performed for presumed arteritic posterior ischemic optic neuropathy, demonstrated intraluminal cells with irregular nuclei and prominent nucleoli suggestive of metastatic malignancy. Further systemic evaluation uncovered a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung with intravascular infiltration and multiple distant metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
Extensive systemic intravascular tumor embolization may be associated with optic neuropathy.
Bhatti
M T
MT
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0284, USA.
Furman
J
J
Gupta
S
S
Tabandeh
H
H
Monshizadeh
R
R
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D014792:Visual Acuity