TAKAYASUS-ARTERITIS - A RARE CAUSE OF CARDIAC DEATH IN A CAUCASIAN TEENAGE FEMALE-PATIENT

A Caucasian teenage Dutch schoolgirl with known chronic low visual acu ity and albinism, presented with frank acute pulmonary oedema, died af ter I h of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation for bradyarrhythmia and card iac arrest. Two weeks prior to presentation, during sport training, sh e complained of oppressive chest pain on exertion accompanied with vom iting without any other systemic symptoms. Post-mortem examination rev ealed supravalvular stenosis of the pulmonary trunk and ascending aort a with irregular intimal thickening associated with stenosis of the le ft coronary artery. Microscopic examination demonstrated cellular infi ltration of the wall of the aorta and pulmonary trunk with formation o f granulomas with multinucleated giant cells. These features are compa tible with Takayasu's arteritis. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.