An elevated ESR and CRP in a patient with unilateral disc edema is most suspicious of which systemic disease?

• A. Diabetes
• B. Giant Cell Arteritis
• C. Hypertension
• D. Multiple Sclerosis

Answer: (B)

Elevated ESR and CRP point to an active inflammatory process. When this is seen alongside unilateral optic disc edema in an older adult, it strongly suggests Giant Cell Arteritis, a systemic vasculitis that can involve the arteries supplying the optic nerve. The inflammatory involvement can lead to arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, causing sudden disc swelling and a risk of rapid, permanent vision loss if not treated promptly. The other options don’t typically produce a systemic inflammatory marker rise in this setting: diabetes and hypertension relate more to non-arteritic optic nerve issues and don’t inherently elevate ESR/CRP, while multiple sclerosis can cause optic neuritis but usually without the inflammatory marker pattern seen here.