Pandemic: Delayed giant cell arteritis diagnosis led to blindness
Italian doctors at a fast-track clinic for GCA referrals saw a 75% decline in patients
Delayed referrals for two symptomatic patients because of COVID-19 fears led to irreversible bilateral vision loss from giant cell arteritis (GCA), Italian rheumatologists have reported.
The researchers studied patients referred to the University of Pavia’s fast-track clinic, which handles urgent assessments of patients with suspected GCA. They compared the period since the Italian COVID-19 outbreak (21 February-30 April 2020) with the corresponding period in 2019.
