title: [Takayasu's arteritis without manifest arterial stenoses as a cause of fever of unknown origin].
abstract: METHODS
  Two women, aged 59 and 53 years, presented with a history of several months of classical fever of unknown origin (FUO), largely normal physical findings, and elevated markers of systemic inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  After initially unremarkable findings, duplex-sonography detected circular, hypoechogenic wall thickening of the axillary arteries without hemodynamically significant narrowing of the lumen. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positrone emission-tomography (18F-FDG-PET) revealed marked vascular tracer uptake in the aorta and in the proximal arteries of the arms and legs. TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP: The diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis was made, and high-dose prednisone treatment was initiated. Within a few days both patients became asymptomatic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Large vessel vasculitis is a known cause of FUO. Duplex-sonography and 18F-FDG-PET are able to detect these disorders at an early stage before the onset of clinically relevant arterial obstructions. More widespread use of these techniques may show that large-vessel vasculitis is more common than previously thought.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, Medizinische Poliklinik, Gefässzentrum Innenstadt -- Angiologie, München. federico.tato@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tatò
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000209:etiology*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D011241:Prednisone