[Branch retinal artery occlusion as the sole ocular manifestation of Takayasu arteritis]

We report a case of branch retinal artery occlusion in a young woman suffering from established Takayasu arteritis. A 35-year-old woman with a previous history of Takayasu arteritis, diagnosed 5 years before, presented to the emergency department reporting sudden visual loss in her left eye and restriction of the visual field for the past hour. On ophthalmologic examination, occlusion of the superior temporal branch of the central retinal artery was revealed. However, no other classic signs of ocular ischemia associated with Takayasu arteritis were observed. Three out of the six criteria set out by the American College of Rheumatology for the diagnosis of Takayasu disease were met. Visual acuity recovered to 7/10(e), corrected, with the presence of a patent cilioretinal artery. The occurrence of retinal artery occlusion at such a young age is exceptional, justifying a thorough examination to reveal the underlying pathology. There is only one other report in the literature of a case of branch retinal artery occlusion as a manifestation of Takayasu arteritis. The case reported here is exceptional because of the absence of more typical signs of ocular ischemia and the moderate degree of involvement of the major cervical arteries.