title: Takayasu arteritis in a 66-year-old caucasian woman.
abstract: A 66 year-old Italian woman was admitted to the hospital for fatigue, malaise and fever. Radial pulses were absent. She underwent echo color Doppler examination and angiography, which pointed out tight stenosis of bilateral axillary arteries; particularly, the echo color Doppler showed diffuse arterial wall thickening in the left common carotid artery (1.7 mm). Clinical features and instrumental findings suggested active Takayasu is arteritis. Corticosteroid therapy was administered and bilateral radial pulse appeared again after two months of steroid therapy. This case demonstrates the presence of Takayasu's arteritis in Western Europe and showed how the disease onset can be observed also in geriatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Angiology Care Unit, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy. federox@hotmail.com
authors.forename: F Vittadello G
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Rosso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verlato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scarpa
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Andreozzi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011241:Prednisone