Takayasu\'s Arteritis Presenting with Cerebral Ischemic Stroke: A Case Report and Review of Imaging Findings

Abstract

Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic, idiopathic, inflammatory disease that mainly affects large blood vessels such as the aorta and its branches, and is mostly prevalent among women younger than 40 years old. Although involvement of the central nervous system and stroke may occur during the course of the disease, it is uncommon as the initial manifestation of the patient. Here, a 58-year-old patient is presented with stroke symptoms and occlusion of the left and right carotid and left vertebral arteries since 7 years ago. The patient was subjected to laboratory examination, imaging, and additional investigations, and with Takayasu's diagnosis, she underwent treatment with corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide (and then methotrexate), and antiplatelet therapy. In addition to the occurrence of stroke as the first manifestation of the disease, the development of symptoms at the age of 51 indicated that the inflammatory process had probably started more than a decade before the symptoms.

Keywords

• takayasu's arteritis
• stroke
• vasculitis