Introduction
Autoimmune diseases have a variety of systemic manifestations; the eye is frequently involved in numerous autoimmune and rheumatologic disorders. Ocular manifestations are frequently nonspecific and different diseases may affect different parts of the eye, but early recognition of symptoms can help avoid or delay both systemic and ocular sequelae.
The most common autoimmune diseases that affect the eyes can be separated into four categories:
- Rheumatologic
- Dermatologic
- Endocrine
- Vascular
In this final part of our four-part series, we discuss giant cell arteritis, an autoimmune vascular disease that affects the eye.
Giant Cell Arteritis1-8
Giant cell arteritis - epidemiology
- Disease
- 1:100 women
- 1:200 men
- Mean age: 76.7
- Scandinavian descent
- Female>male
Giant cell arteritis - mechanism
- Vasculitis of large-medium sized arteries
Giant cell arteritis - association
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
- 40-50% of patients with GCA have PMR
- 10% of patients with PMR have GCA
Giant cell arteritis - presentation
- Subacute (gradual onset)
- General
- Constitutional symptoms
- Headache (over temple(s))
- PMR
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Synovitis
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Jaw claudication
- Swallowing claudication/dysphagia
- Tongue claudication
- Limb claudication
- Visual symptoms
- Amaurosis fugax
- Permanent vision loss
- Painless/sudden
- Causes
- Arteritic Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AAION)
- Central or branch retinal artery occlusion
- Posterior ischemic optic neuropathy (PION)
- Diplopia
- Ischemia to oculomotor system
- Charles Bonnet Syndrome
- General
