Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Transorbital ultrasonography reveals persistent decrease in retinal artery flow and optic nerve diameter in treated giant cell arteritis
Authors' conclusion
Utilizing TOS, we demonstrated progressive decrease in retinal artery flow and OND, indicating ongoing impairment in retinal vascular supply and potential optic nerve atrophy despite clinical improvement post-treatment.
Study context
- Population
- Newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients
- Participants
- 36 participants
- Exposure
- Changes in TOS parameters vs baseline over 12 months of treatment
- Outcome
- Longitudinal changes in TOS parameters: central retinal artery flow velocity (PSV, EDV, resistance index (RI)) and optic nerve diameter (OND)
- Follow-up
- 12 months
Methodological detailslongitudinal, serial TOS assessments at three-monthly intervals for 12 months, linear mixed-effects models
- Longitudinal
- Serial TOS assessments at three-monthly intervals for 12 months
- Linear mixed-effects models
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Change in TOS parameters vs baseline
- Peak systolic velocity (PSV) vs baseline at 3 months, β (cm/s); P = 0.046
- −0.81
- PSV vs baseline at 9 months, β (cm/s); P = 0.029
- −0.93
- Optic nerve diameter (OND) vs baseline at 3 months, β (mm); P = 0.020
- −0.30
- OND vs baseline at 12 months, β (mm); P = 0.008
- −0.35
- OND trend over follow-up, β; P = 0.024
- −0.07
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Visual symptoms at baseline
- Patients reporting visual symptoms, n (47.2%)
- 17
Symptomatic vs asymptomatic eyes over disease course
- Higher PSV in symptomatic eyes, β; P = 0.017
- 0.96
- Higher end-diastolic velocity (EDV) in symptomatic eyes, β; P = 0.037
- 0.34
Baseline pathological vessel count and OGUS Score vs TOS parameters
- Vessel count vs PSV, β; P = 0.031
- −0.43
- OGUS Score vs PSV, β; P = 0.055
- −3.15
- Vessel count vs EDV, β; P = 0.022
- −0.15
- OGUS Score vs EDV, β; P = 0.007
- −1.45
- Vessel count vs OND, β; P = 0.006
- 0.15
- OGUS Score vs OND, β; P = 0.040
- 0.94
Pathological vessel count and OGUS Score vs TOS parameters during disease course
- Vessel count vs EDV, β; P = 0.024
- −0.04
- OGUS Score vs EDV, β; P = 0.005
- −0.77
- Vessel count vs OND, β; P < 0.001
- 0.05
- OGUS Score vs OND, β; P < 0.001
- 0.72
Original publication
Transorbital ultrasonography reveals persistent decrease in retinal artery flow and optic nerve diameter in treated giant cell arteritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 29 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →