The evaluation of giant-cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) cases with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A)

Abstract

To make measurements using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) in inactive giant cell arteritis (GCA) cases who have previously had GCA and have been treated and to compare the obtained data with healthy volunteers. In this observational case-control study, 18 eyes of 18 GCA cases previously diagnosed, treated with anterior arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (AAION). 22 eyes of 22 ophthalmically healthy volunteers were included in the study. After external ophthalmic examinations of all participants were performed, their measurements were made with serial OCT-A. Superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), foveal avascular zone (FAZ), area covering 300 degrees around the fovea (FD-300), choriocapillaris (CC), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), cup/disc (C/D) ratio and optic disc vessel densities (OD-VD) were evaluated. p<0.05 was considered significant. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender and shooting quality. Whole-SCP, SCP-foveal, SCP-parafoveal and SCP-perifoveal VD values were lower in the patient group. Whole-DCP, DCPparafoveal and DCP-perifoveal VD values were also low in the patient group. FAZ areas were similar between groups, but the FD-300 VD was different. Whole-OD VD and inside-OD VD were significantly lower in the patient group. Peripapillary-OD VD and RNFL values were similar. The C/D ratio was higher in the patient group. The effect on the microvascular process was significant in OCT-A. This suggested that even if the ischemic process still continues and there is no active inflammation, microvascular structures may continue to be affected.