TAKAYASU ARTERITIS PRESENTING AS MULTIFOCAL ACUTE INFARCTS IN A YOUNG FEMALE: A CASE REPORT

Dr. M. Thanoj Prasath*, Dr. S. M. Shavana, Dr. Zakeena, Dr. B. Lakshmi Rani

ABSTRACT

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare, chronic granulomatous large-vessel vasculitis that involves the aorta and its major branches and predominantly affects young women. We report a 30-year-old woman with a six-month history of right upper-limb claudication who presented with sudden-onset altered sensorium following a one-day febrile illness. Clinical examination revealed bilateral carotid bruits with absent right upper-limb pulses and preserved lower-limb blood pressure. MRI brain demonstrated acute infarcts in the left fronto-temporal region and right caudate nucleus, and CT aortogram showed circumferential wall thickening with significant luminal narrowing of both common carotid arteries, confirming the diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis. The patient was managed with high-dose oral corticosteroids and antiplatelet therapy, with endovascular stenting of the right common carotid artery planned. This case highlights the importance of considering TA in young women presenting with stroke and limb claudication, and the need for early immunosuppressive therapy to prevent irreversible vascular damage.

Keywords: Takayasu arteritis; large-vessel vasculitis; stroke in young; carotid stenosis; aortitis.