Uncommon associations and catastrophic manifestation in Takayasu arteritis: an autopsy case report

Takayasu arteritis, a chronic inflammatory vasculitis affecting aorta and its major branches, is complicated by stenosis, occlusion, and aneurysm formation. The aneurysm formation and subsequent complications such as heart failure, aortic regurgitation, and aneurysm rupture can be fatal. The aortic aneurysm rupture is a rare and fatal complication with only a few cases reported in the English literature. The involvement of coronary artery in Takayasu occurs in about 10% patients, and the coronary artery aneurysm is the least common manifestation. Here, we describe a case of Takayasu arteritis with abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture and coronary artery aneurysm. This patient also had associated systemic inflammatory diseases like sarcoidosis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.