REVERSIBLE MONOCULAR BLINDNESS COMPLICATING CHURG-STRAUSS-SYNDROME

A 76-year-old woman hospitalized for treatment of an inferior vena cav a thrombus was noted to have eosinophilia as well as asthma, periphera l neuropathy, jaw claudication and visual loss. Pathological review of a temporal artery biopsy revealed vasculitis with eosinophils but no giant cells. Treatment with high dose corticosteroids resulted in impr ovement of visual acuity from hand motion to 20/60. Whereas at least 6 cases of temporal artery involvement with Churg-Strauss syndrome have been reported, visual loss has occurred in only 3 patients. In each o f these cases, visual loss was permanent.