Bilateral ocular ischemic syndrome secondary to giant cell arteritis progressing despite corticosteroid treatment

PURPOSE: To report the development of a bilateral ocular ischemic syndrome despite corticosteroid treatment in a patient with giant cell arteritis. METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: Despite receiving high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone and ora l prednisone for biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis that presented as a sev ere anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in the right eye, a patient develope d progressive ocular ischemia in that eye as well as an ocular ischemic syn drome in the fellow eye. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients with giant cell arteritis, possibly patients wit h other underlying systemic vasculopathies, are refractory to what should b e adequate treatment with systemic corticosteroids and may develop a bilate ral ocular ischemic syndrome. (C) 1999 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.