Branch retinal artery occlusion as the initial sign of giant cell arteritis.

Abstract

To describe a patient whose initial sign of giant cell arteritis was a branch retinal artery occlusion. We examined a 77-year-old woman who developed arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy three weeks after an isolated non-embolic branch retinal artery occlusion occurred in the same eye. The diagnosis of giant cell arteritis was confirmed by temporal artery biopsy after the patient was treated with intravenous corticosteroids. Although a rare cause of branch retinal vascular occlusion, giant cell arteritis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a non-embolic branch retinal artery occlusion in elderly patients.