Purpose@#We
report a case of
papilledema without the typical symptoms of arteritic
anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, ultimately diagnosed as a subtype of
giant cell arteritis, which has not been reported previously in
Korea.Case
summary:
A 72-year-old man visited the
hospital with decreased
visual acuity in his left
eye of 0.02 that had occurred 1 week prior.
Optic disc swelling and relative afferent
pupillary disorder were also evident in the left
eye.
Magnetic resonance imaging revealed no specific findings, leading to a
diagnosis of
anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Afterwards, there was no improvement in
visual acuity, and
optic nerve atrophy occurred. Six months later, the
patient complained of decreased
visual acuity in the contralateral
eye; the same clinical findings as in the left
eye were confirmed.
Temporal artery biopsy was performed, ultimately revealing a subtype of
giant cell arteritis. @*Conclusions@#This case was finally diagnosed as a subtype of
giant cell arteritis through
temporal artery biopsy, despite the absence of typical clinical symptoms of this condition. Although
giant cell arteritis is rare in
Korea, it can cause permanent
blindness. Therefore, the possibility of
giant cell arteritis should always be considered with
optic disc swelling in both
eyes.