TEMPORAL ARTERITIS AND AORTIC DISSECTION IN 2 SIBLINGS

We present the case of two female siblings with temporal arteritis, po lymyalgia and type B aortic dissection. Aortic aneurysms in families a re well known in Marfan's and Ehlers-Danlossyndrome; they can, however , occur without signs of a collagen disorder. In patients with arterit is temporalis the incidence of aortic aneurysms is higher than normal. In a retrospective survey of 20591 autopsies there were 443 aortic an eurysms (2%), 30 (7%) being a consequence of arteritis. Arteritic proc esses caused 15% of the thoracic and 5% of the abdominal aneurysms. Th is is the first description of temporal arteritis, polymyalgia and aor tic dissection in siblings. The observation illustrates the danger of aneurysmatic aortic dilatation and/or dissection at a later or chronic stage of arteritis.