The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2012 , Vol 54 , Num 5
Takayasu Arteritis in a 4-Year-Old Girl: Case Report and Brief Overview of the Pediatric Literature
Departments of 1Pediatric Cardiology, and 3Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Konya Training and Research Hospital, and
4Department of Radiology, Selçuk University Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, and 2Division of Pediatric Nephrology
and Rheumatology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. E-mail: ebruaypar@gmail.com
Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a large vessel vasculitis that involves the aorta, its
major branches and pulmonary arteries. Diagnosis of TA during childhood
remains challenging due to the non-specific symptoms. We report a fouryear-
old girl presenting with fever, fatigue, weight loss, and elbow pain
who was later diagnosed as childhood TA. On admission, she had fever,
hypertension, decreased pulses, bruits, hepatosplenomegaly, and increased
erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level. Computed
tomography angiography showed luminal narrowing and wall thickening
in ascending aorta, brachiocephalic, left common carotid and left vertebral
arteries and descending aorta. Oral corticosteroid (prednisone, 2 mg/kg/day)
was instituted, later followed by oral methotrexate (12.5 mg/m2/week). TA
is rare in children; however, childhood TA must be considered in children
who present with non-specific systemic symptoms, hypertension and increased
acute phase reactants.
Keywords :
Takayasu arteritis, vasculitis, hypertension, children.