uperficial temporal artery biopy diagnotic for lung carcinoma

PURPOE: To report a unique finding of metatatic tumor cell in the lumen of a uperficial temporal artery biopy pecimen in a patient with evere viual lo and optic neuropathy. METHOD: Cae report. REULT: A 69-year-old man preented with anorexia, pancranial headache, and acute unilateral viual lo. Ophthalmic examination howed a viual acuity of no light perception and an amaurotic pupil in the left eye. Fundu examination wa normal. A uperficial temporal artery biopy, performed for preumed arteritic poterior ichemic optic neuropathy, demontrated intraluminal cell with irregular nuclei and prominent nucleoli uggetive of metatatic malignancy. Further ytemic evaluation uncovered a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung with intravacular infiltration and multiple ditant metatae. CONCLUION: Extenive ytemic intravacular tumor embolization may be aociated with optic neuropathy