Isolated lower extremity vasculitis leading to progressive critical limb ischemia

Abstract

Giant cell arteritis is a large- and medium-vessel vasculitis that has been described as a systemic disease process with disseminated vessel involvement. Advances in vascular imaging techniques have demonstrated that involvement of the large vessels of the upper and lower limbs may be more prevalent than was once thought, although the clinical implications of this are unknown. Isolated lower extremity claudication without systemic or classic cranial symptoms, especially as a primary manifestation of giant cell arteritis, is rare. We present the case of a patient with isolated bilateral limb claudication that rapidly progressed to critical limb ischemia requiring urgent surgical intervention after steroid therapy. Our patient has consented to the publication of this report.