Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To determine if intimal cell counts in temporal artery biopsies of patients with giant cell arteritis are correlated with development of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Methods: Patients identified retrospectively from records of all temporal artery biopsies performed from 1999–2003. Inclusion criteria included a positive TA biopsy with active granulomatous inflammation and less than 14 days of prednisone therapy at the time of biopsy. Patients were divided into groups with and without anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. All sections of each biopsy were examined microscopically. Cell counts were tabulated from a 200 X 200 µm zone within the intima of each of four representative sections. Results: Average intimal cell count in patients with AION (n=6) was 183.0 +/– 89.3 versus 129.2 +/– 45.4 in patients without AION (n=6, p=0.217). There was no significant difference between groups with regard to age, sex, presenting symptoms, duration of prednisone treatment, or ESR/CRP. There was also no significant difference in intima: lumen ratio and giant cell counts between the two groups. Conclusions: Although our results do not reach statistical significance, intimal cell counts were higher in patients with giant cell arteritis with AION. These results may have clinical implications in predicting patients at high risk for ischemic complications from giant cell arteritis.
Keywords: vascular occlusion/vascular occlusive disease • ischemia • neuro-ophthalmology: diagnosis