Rheumatology: Current Research
Open Access

Department of Neurology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Cairo Street Hamra, Beirut, Lebanon

Biography

Dr. EI Halabi T, a distinguished expert and author has published several articles on Neurology, works in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Doctor of Medicine.

Publications

• Case Report   
  Occult Giant Cell Arteritis Responding Promptly to Tocilizumab after Failure of High Dose Corticosteroid Therapy
  Author(s): Hamam R, EI Halabi T, Ramia M, EI Halabi M and Merashli M*
  
  A 72 year old lady, who presented with blurry vision in both eyes, was diagnosed based on ophthalmological exam as having occult Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) without any systemic symptoms despite the fact that she did not respond initially to intravenous steroids. Patient was directly switched to Tocilizumab to notice marked improvement in her symptoms afterwards. Interleukin-6 has been shown to be a key cytokine in GCA, and that explains why Tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin- 6 receptor, was FDA approved for the treatment of GCA. However, encountering a patient with occult GCA, having almost complete blindness, responding acutely to Tocilizumab after failing initial high dose steroid therapy, such as in the present case, was not reported before. In addition, the marked improvement in the symptoms, along with the patient being able to avoid long term ste.. View More»
  DOI: 10.35248/2161-1149.20.10.260

  Abstract HTML PDF