Takayasu's arteritis associated with anterior uveitis and cutaneous extravascular necrotizing granuloma

We describe a ease of Takayasu's arteritis (TA) associated with two unusual complications: 1) granulomatous anterior uveitis, and 2) skin nodules demo nstrating a cutaneous extravascular necrotizing granuloma. This is the firs t report of uveitis attributed to TA and the second report of this skin les ion (associated with a small vessel vasculitis) occurring in this disorder. Although an ocular finding was central to the initial description of TA in 1908, eye abnormalities in this disorder are frequently overshadowed by ot her consequences of vasculitis in large vessels. In this case, correct inte rpretation of the skin biopsy findings in the context of the known great ve ssel abnormalities might have led to a more timely diagnosis of TA. Finally , although TA is the prototype of large vessel vasculitides, this case illu strates the range in the size of blood vessels involved by this form of art eritis. Once the diagnosis was made, the patient responded promptly to a tr eatment regimen of prednisone and methotrexate.