Hospitalization due to ocular manifestations in giant cell arteritis often happen before diagnosis

Amongst patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), most cases of ocular manifestations leading to hospital contact occur close to or before initial GCA diagnosis, according to a study.

Overall, 14,574 patients with GCA were included in this study. Amongst those included, 1026 had ocular manifestations within ±1 year of being diagnosed, with 38% of cases happening before diagnosis, 62% after diagnosis, and 73% within ±1 month of the diagnosis.

Ocular manifestations included retinal vascular occlusions in 33%, disorders of the optic nerve in 29%, visual impairment in 17%, diplopia in 9%, and amaurosis fugax in 12%.

Cumulative incidence proportions (CIPs) for ocular manifestations after 3-, 6-, and 12-months following diagnosis were 4.0%, 4.2%, and 4.6%, respectively. The 1-year relative risks of ocular manifestations were 28.0, with age above 70 years, male sex, and a positive temporal artery biopsy being risk factors. Use of low-dose aspirin not associated with a reduced 1-year relative risk of incident ocular manifestations.

Reference
Therkildsen P, de Thurah A, Faurschou M, et al. A nationwide study of ocular manifestations leading to hospital contacts among patients with giant cell arteritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2022;56:152071. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2022.152071. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35878473.