[Bilateral simultaneous central retinal artery occlusion revealing giant cell arteritis].

Aim: To point out the importance of the early diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA) (Horton's disease).

Materials and methods: a case report of a sudden bilateral blindness that had revealed GCA.

Case report: A 68-year old female patient with a history of elevated blood pressure and diabetes mellitus type 2, was examined in emergency for a right painful headache developed one week previously. In ophthalmological examination, her BCVA was 0.9 and P2 in both eyes. Diagnosis of Horton's disease was not initially done in spite of elevated erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR) at 30 mm, protein C reactive (CRP) at 19 mg/l. The patient consulted seven weeks later in emergency for a sudden bilateral blindness associated with severe headache, recent asthenia, and limping of the lower jaw. At that time, visual acuity was reduced to light perception in both eyes whereas ophthalmoscopy revealed a bilateral central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). ESR was 74 mm and CRP 233 mg/I. Temporal artery biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of GCA. The patient was treated with systemic steroids without visual recovery.

Conclusion: This case outlines the importance of the early diagnosis of GCA in order to make possible to start treatment before the occurrence of irreversible complications.