Orbital presentations of giant cell arteritis

giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic vasculitis that may affect the optic nerve and cause blindness (e.g. ischemic optic neuropathy). Orbital inflammatory disease, however, is an uncommon presentation of GCA.

to alert clinicians to the orbital presentations of GCA.

a retrospective case series from tertiary care academic ophthalmic referral centers of four patients with orbital manifestations of giant cell arteritis.

presentation of cases and review of the literature. In three cases, a temporal artery biopsy was diagnostic of GCA, but in one case, an orbital biopsy was needed to confirm the diagnosis.

GCA can have orbital manifestations and clinicians should be aware of this unusual presentation of GCA in cases of presumed orbital inflammatory pseudotumor in the elderly.