Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • First Release
    • Current
    • Archives
    • Collections
    • AV Rheum
    • Forum
  • Resources
    • Guide for Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Payment
    • Reviewers
    • Advertisers
    • Classified Ads
    • Reprints and Translations
    • Permissions
    • Meetings
    • FAQ
    • Policies
  • Subscribers
    • Subscription Information
    • Purchase Subscription
    • Your Account
    • Terms and Conditions
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Letter from the Editor
    • Duncan A. Gordon Award
    • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
  • JRheum Supplements
  • Publisher Services

User menu

  • My Cart
  • Log In

Search

  • Advanced search
The Journal of Rheumatology
  • JRheum Supplements
  • Publisher Services
  • My Cart
  • Log In
The Journal of Rheumatology

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • First Release
    • Current
    • Archives
    • Collections
    • AV Rheum
    • Forum
  • Resources
    • Guide for Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Payment
    • Reviewers
    • Advertisers
    • Classified Ads
    • Reprints and Translations
    • Permissions
    • Meetings
    • FAQ
    • Policies
  • Subscribers
    • Subscription Information
    • Purchase Subscription
    • Your Account
    • Terms and Conditions
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Letter from the Editor
    • Duncan A. Gordon Award
    • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
  • Follow jrheum on Twitter
  • Visit jrheum on Facebook
  • Follow jrheum on LinkedIn
  • Follow jrheum on RSS
Research ArticleArticle

Visual Manifestations in Giant Cell Arteritis: Trend over 5 Decades in a Population-based Cohort

Abha G. Singh, Tanaz A. Kermani, Cynthia S. Crowson, Cornelia M. Weyand, Eric L. Matteson and Kenneth J. Warrington
The Journal of Rheumatology February 2015, 42 (2) 309-315; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.140188
Abha G. Singh
From the Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; Division of Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles; Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Tanaz A. Kermani
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Cynthia S. Crowson
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Cornelia M. Weyand
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Eric L. Matteson
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kenneth J. Warrington
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: warrington.kenneth@mayo.edu
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
  • eLetters
PreviousNext
Loading

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients with visual changes from giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to examine trends over the last 5 decades.

Methods. We reviewed the medical records of a population-based cohort of patients with GCA diagnosed between 1950 and 2004. The clinical, ophthalmological, and laboratory features of patients with visual manifestations attributable to GCA were compared to patients without visual complications. Trends over time were examined using logistic regression modeling adjusted for age and sex.

Results. In a cohort of 204 cases of GCA (mean age 76.0 ± 8.2 yrs, 80% female), visual changes from GCA were observed in 47 patients (23%), and 4.4% suffered complete vision loss. A higher proportion of patients with visual manifestations reported jaw claudication than did patients without visual changes (55% vs 38%, p = 0.04). Over a period of 55 years, we observed a significant decline in the incidence of visual symptoms due to GCA. There was a lower incidence of ischemic optic neuropathy in the 1980–2004 cohort vs 1950–1979 (6% vs 15%, p = 0.03). Patients diagnosed in later decades were more likely to recover from visual symptoms (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.06–1.71). Chances of recovery were poor in patients with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy or complete vision loss.

Conclusion. Incidence of visual symptoms has declined over the past 5 decades, and chances of recovery from visual symptoms have improved. However, complete loss of vision is essentially irreversible. Jaw claudication is associated with higher likelihood of development of visual symptoms.

Key Indexing Terms:
  • GIANT CELL ARTERITIS
  • VISION LOSS
  • VISUAL MANIFESTATIONS
  • VASCULITIS
  • STEROIDS
  • BLINDNESS

Footnotes

  • Supported by the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, which is supported by the US National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number R01AG034676. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

  • Accepted for publication October 15, 2014.
View Full Text

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

The Journal of Rheumatology
Vol. 42, Issue 2
1 Feb 2015
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by Author
  • Editorial Board (PDF)
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about The Journal of Rheumatology.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Visual Manifestations in Giant Cell Arteritis: Trend over 5 Decades in a Population-based Cohort
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from The Journal of Rheumatology
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the The Journal of Rheumatology web site.
Citation Tools
Visual Manifestations in Giant Cell Arteritis: Trend over 5 Decades in a Population-based Cohort
Abha G. Singh, Tanaz A. Kermani, Cynthia S. Crowson, Cornelia M. Weyand, Eric L. Matteson, Kenneth J. Warrington
The Journal of Rheumatology Feb 2015, 42 (2) 309-315; DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.140188

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

 Request Permissions

Share
Visual Manifestations in Giant Cell Arteritis: Trend over 5 Decades in a Population-based Cohort
Abha G. Singh, Tanaz A. Kermani, Cynthia S. Crowson, Cornelia M. Weyand, Eric L. Matteson, Kenneth J. Warrington
The Journal of Rheumatology Feb 2015, 42 (2) 309-315; DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.140188
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Save to my folders

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • MATERIALS AND METHODS
    • RESULTS
    • DISCUSSION
    • Footnotes
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
  • eLetters

Keywords

GIANT CELL ARTERITIS
VISION LOSS
VISUAL MANIFESTATIONS
VASCULITIS
STEROIDS
BLINDNESS

Related Articles

Cited By...

More in this TOC Section

  • Radiographic Progression Inhibition with Intravenous Golimumab in Psoriatic Arthritis: Week 24 Results of a Phase III, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial
  • OMERACT Development of a Core Domain Set of Outcomes for Shared Decision-making Interventions
  • Cyclophosphamide for Systemic Sclerosis-related Interstitial Lung Disease: A Comparison of Scleroderma Lung Study I and II
Show more Article

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • GIANT CELL ARTERITIS
  • VISION LOSS
  • VISUAL MANIFESTATIONS
  • VASCULITIS
  • STEROIDS
  • BLINDNESS

Content

  • First Release
  • Current
  • Archives
  • Collections
  • AV Rheum
  • Forum

Resources

  • Guide for Authors
  • Submit Manuscript
  • Author Payment
  • Reviewers
  • Advertisers
  • Classified Ads
  • Reprints and Translations
  • Permissions
  • Meetings
  • FAQ
  • Policies

Subscribers

  • Subscription Information
  • Purchase Subscription
  • Your Account
  • Terms and Conditions

More

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • My Alerts
  • My Folders
  • RSS Feeds
The Journal of Rheumatology
The content of this site is intended for health care professionals.
Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Rheumatology Publishing Company Limited
Print ISSN: 0315-162X; Online ISSN: 1499-2752
Powered by HighWire