Takayasu arteritis presenting with massive cerebral ischemic infarction in a 35-year-old woman: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Takayasu arteritis is a relatively rare type of large-vessel arteritis that primarily affects the aorta and its major branches, the coronary arteries, and the pulmonary arteries. Depending on the different groups of blood vessels involved in the disease process, the clinical presentation of Takayasu arteritis varies. Here we report a case of a woman presenting with a debilitating massive cerebral ischemic infarct that turned out to be a relatively rare first presentation of Takayasu arteritis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 35-year-old Chinese woman presented to the Emergency Department with left hemiparesis, pain and numbness of her arms and weak radial pulses. Her laboratory results showed an elevated C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and subsequent digital subtraction angiography demonstrated narrowing and occlusion of the major branches of her aortic arch. We report the case of a patient with Takayasu arteritis presenting with a massive cerebral ischemic infarct and review the current literature on this topic. CONCLUSION: Takayasu arteritis is a relatively rare disease with various and sometimes devastating clinical manifestations, such as massive cerebral ischemic infarction as in our case. Currently, there are multiple diagnostic tools and treatment options available, and more under investigation. Early, appropriate diagnosis and initiation of proper therapy could avoid further progression and reduce complications of the disease.