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The following is a summary of “Biomarkers of ocular manifestation in newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis,” published in the April 2025 issue of BMC Ophthalmology by Terheyden et al. 

Giant cell arteritis (GCA), a vasculitis affecting large and medium-sized vessels, led to severe ophthalmic complications, with limited biomarkers available for early ocular involvement, although timely diagnosis and monitoring could have prevented permanent vision loss.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate early optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) biomarkers of ocular involvement in newly diagnosed GCA.  

They enrolled newly diagnosed patients with GCA and age-matched controls. Participants underwent ocular examination with OCT and OCTA imaging of the macula and optic disc. The OCT metrics assessed included macular ganglion cell layer (GCL) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness. The OCTA parameters measured included vessel density (VD), vessel skeleton density, and vessel diameter index (VDI). Age-adjusted regression models analyzed associations between imaging biomarkers and GCA symptoms (ordinal GCA symptom score).  

The results showed that VD and VDI in the deep retinal capillaries were significantly higher in patients with GCA compared to controls (P ≤ 0.027). In patients with ocular symptoms, GCL thickness, volume, and pRNFL thickness increased by 11%, 22%, and 17%, respectively, in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study subfields compared to controls (P ≤ 0.04). Furthermore, GCL and pRNFL thicknesses were significantly associated with GCA symptoms (P ≤ 0.041).  

Investigators concluded that OCT and OCTA imaging had revealed structural and perfusion alterations in newly diagnosed patients with GCA, and altered retinal microcirculation observed even without ophthalmic symptoms and structural changes correlating with systemic manifestations, underscoring the potential diagnostic value of OCT and OCTA biomarkers for ocular involvement in GCA. 

Source: bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-025-03997-x