Clinical and radiographic features mimicking pulmonary embolism as the first manifestation of Takayasu's arteritis.
The current report describes a female patient with Takayasu's arteritis who was hospitalized because of respiratory complaints and a ventilation-perfusion (V/P) scan demonstrating severe perfusion defects with normal ventilation. Her symptoms and V/P scan results were initially interpreted as massive pulmonary embolism, but a spiral computed tomography (CT) of the chest and a repeated lung scan indicated inflammatory involvement of the pulmonary artery accounting for the positive lung scan study. Review of her medical records from 17 years ago revealed that similar symptoms and a positive V/P scan were the initial features of her disease.
Shlomai
Amir
A
Department of Medicine A, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, POB 12000, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel. amirsh@md.huji.ac.il
Hershko
Alon Y
AY
Gabbay
Ezra
E
Ben-Chetrit
Eldad
E
D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio
D000925:Anticoagulants; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone