Takayasu’s arteritis: time for new imaging techniques

Abstract

Takayasu’s arteritis is a chronic, inflammatory and stenotic disease
of unknown aetiology, involving medium- and large-sized arteries,
primarily the aorta and its major branches and occasionally the pulmonary artery.
The authors present the case of a 27-year-old woman with
hypertension, referred to our Internal Medicine Department.
Extensive vascular calcification in the large abdominal arteries,
including the right renal artery, was detected by adrenal computed
tomography and prompted further radiological exams, namely
magnetic resonance angiography of the renal arteries and aorta,
and complete aortic arteriography. The findings were consistent
with the diagnosis of Takayasu’s arteritis. Corticosteroid therapy
(1mg/kg/day prednisone) was instituted, with good clinical response.
The authors review this uncommon entity, discussing its varied
clinical manifestations and the difficulty often encountered in
establishing diagnosis, highlighting the importance of less invasive
imaging procedures which are currently available. The importance
of a detailed investigation when facing hypertension at a young
age is also underlined.