| Author | Year | Study design (cases) | n | Positive biopsy | Patients with visual loss (%) | Patients with ocular deterioration during therapy (%) |
| Birkhead33 | 1957 | Prospective | 55 | 55 (100%) | 21 (38%) | 2 (3.6%) |
| Palm34 | 1958 | Prospective | 31 | 13 (21%) | 31 (100%) | 4 (12.9%) |
| Parsons-Smith35 | 1958 | Prospective | 50 (13 treated) | NR | 13/55; all 13 treated (24%) | 1 (7.7%) |
| Russell36 | 1959 | Retrospective (8) | 35 (21 treated) | 11 (31%) | 16/35 with visual symptoms (46%) | 6 (28.6%) |
| Prospective (27) | ||||||
| Mosher4 | 1959 | Retrospective | 32 (18 treated) | 23 (72%) | 20 with eye symptoms (62.5%) | 7 (38.9%) |
| Whitfield37 | 1963 | Prospective | 72 | NR | 40 (55%) | 1 (1.4%) |
| Cullen38 | 1967 | Prospective | 25 | 25 (100%) | 25 (100%) | 1 (4%) |
| Fauchald39 | 1972 | Prospective | 94 | 61 (65%) | 5 ocular symptoms (5%) | 1 (1.1%) |
| Hunder40 | 1975 | Prospective | 60 | 60 (100%) | 3 (5%) | 0 (0%) |
| Bengtsson41 | 1981 | Prospective | 27 | 17 (63%) | NR | 2 (7.4%) |
| Jones42 | 1981 | Prospective | 85 | 22 (26%) | 6/22 (27%) permanent | 1 (1.2%) |
| Behn3 | 1983 | Prospective | 68 | 25 (37%) | 10 (15%) | 0 (0%) |
| Boesen43 | 1987 | Prospective | 21 | 11 (52%) | NR | 0 (0%) |
| Caselli44 | 1988 | Prospective | 166 | 166 (100%) | 14 permanent (8.4%) | 1 (0.6%) |
| 17 transient | ||||||
| 8 scotoma | ||||||
| Kyle45 | 1989 | Prospective | 35 | NR | NR | 1 (2.9%) |
| Myles46 | 1992 | Prospective | 96 TA | 48/78 (61.5%) | NR | 4/96 (4%) |
| 210 PMR | NR | 3/210 PMR (1.4%) | ||||
| Aiello47 | 1993 | Prospective | 245 | 204 (83%) | 34 (14%) | 5 (1.6%) |
| Duhaut48 | 1999 | Prospective | 292 | 207 (71%) | 31 (55%) | 14 (6.8%) |
| Kupersmith49 | 1999 | Prospective | 22 | 19 (86%) | 7 (32%) | 2 (9%) |
| Chevalet50 | 2000 | Prospective | 164 | 128 (78%) | NR | 1 amaurosis (0.6%) |
| Kupersmith 2 | 2001 | Prospective | 20 | 20 (100%) | 4 (20%) | 0 (0%) |
| Liozon29 | 2001 | Prospective | 174 | 147 (85%) | 48 (28%) visual symptoms; | 4 (2.3%) |
| 23 (13%) permanent | ||||||
| Danesh-Meyer25 | 2005 | Prospective | 34 | 34 (100%) | 34 (100%) | (27% of eyes during the first 6 days) |
| SUM | 1838 | 1296 (70.5%) | 362 (19.7%) | 58 (3.1%) |
GC, Giant cells; NR, not reported; PMR, polymyalgia rheumatica; TA, temporal arteritis.