Ocular Manifestations in an Italian Cohort of Patients with Takayasu Arteritis

Purpose: We describe ophthalmic manifestations, therapy, and outcomes in 16 patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA). Methods: Takayasu retinopathy was detected in 15 eyes of 9 patients and hypertensive retinopathy in 14 eyes of 7 patients. Results: Visual acuity was normal in 7 eyes, 20/40 to 20/200 in 20 eyes, counting fingers in 2 eyes, hand motion in 2 eyes, and no light perception in 1 eye. Glucocorticoids associated with immunosuppressive agents induced a sustained remission in 13 patients. Three relapsing-refractory patients were given the monoclonal antibody tocilizumab, which led to partial and complete response in 1 and 2 patients respectively. Steroid-induced cataracts developed in 4 patients. Restenosis and the consequent recurrence of visual symptoms were detected in 2 of 9 patients who underwent a patency procedure for their stenotic lesions. Conclusions: Ocular manifestations were a common feature (37.2%) in our cohort of TA patients and were frequently responsible for severe visual deterioration. Abbreviations: BCVA: best-corrected visual acuity; FFA: fundus fluorescein angiography; GC: glucocorticoids; HR: hypertensive retinopathy; ITAS: Indian Takayasu activity score; OCT: optical coherence tomography; TA: Takayasu arteritis; TR: Takayasu retinopathy.