The Spectrum of Isolated Retinal Artery Occlusion Secondary to Giant Cell Arteritis

We systematically reviewed the literature to investigate the clinical features of isolated arteritic retinal artery occlusion (A-RAO) associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA). The four primary types of A-RAO were central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO), hemi-central retinal artery occlusion (hCRAO), branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO), and cilioretinal artery occlusion (CLRAO). The most reported presentation was unilateral CRAO, followed by bilateral CRAO, unilateral CLRAO, and bilateral BRAO. Most RAOs were accompanied by typical GCA signs and symptoms, which can help distinguish them from non-arteritic RAOs. When reported, temporal artery biopsy confirmed GCA in most cases. Patients with GCA may present with a broad spectrum of isolated unilateral and bilateral A-RAOs.