Background: Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) is a primary vasculitis, that affects large arteries, especially branches of the external carotid artery (ECA).
Purpose: To assess the role of CDI of retrobulbar vessels in the study of two patients with giant cell arteritis with eye involvement.
Methods: We have used a sonographer with 8-15 MHz linear probe.
Results: Both patients presented malaise, temporal headache, tender temporal arteries and signs of inflammation. The first patient had a central retinal artery obstruction of the right eye, and the second had anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy of the left eye. Temporal artery histology was positive in both cases. Ultrasound investigation was performed within the first 10 days of corticosteroid treatment. CDI of retrobulbar vessels detected low blood velocities, especially end-diastolic velocities and high resistance index in all retrobulbar vessels, in both orbits. Typical sonographic features in temporal arteritis were "halo", associated with stenoses or occlusions of branches of ECA.
Conclusions: Ultrasound investigation is a valuable diagnostic tool to investigate giant cell arteritis.