title: Is visual loss due to giant cell arteritis reversible?
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Pamukkale University Hospital, Doktorlar Caddesi No: 41, 20100 Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calgüneri
authors.forename: Veli
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cobankara
authors.forename: Düzgün
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozatli
authors.forename: Gülnur
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Güler
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apraş
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pay
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiraz
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ertenli
authors.forename: M Akif
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oztürk
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013256:Steroids; D003520:Cyclophosphamide