title: Giant cell arteritis: a closer look at its ophthalmological manifestations.
abstract: Giant cell arteritis with ocular involvement is an ocular emergency. Arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AAION) is the most common ophthalmological manifestation associated with this disease. Visual loss is usually permanent with rare cases showing visual recovery. Visual improvement, if it occurs, is generally limited, and the visual field defects are persistent and severe. The main goal of AAION treatment is the preservation of vision in the fellow eye. In patients with neurophthalmological manifestations, high-dose corticosteroids should be initiated immediately and aggressively, and maintained thereafter. We present a case of AAION and severe vision loss where significant visual recovery was seen after treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Pinto Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Menezes Falcão
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Antonio T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D001766:Blindness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D018917:Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color