Raynaud phenomenon in Takayasu arteritis

Takayasu's disease is a rare inflammatory disease of the arteries. In addit ion to general non-specific complaints, there may be various ischemic sympt oms stemming from vascular stenoses or occlusions. In the 34-year-old femal e patient described here a unilateral Raynaud's phenomenon was the major sy mptom and led to the clinical and angiological diagnosis of Takayasu's dise ase. Lowered arterial blood pressure in the right arm, extended pulse wove duration, poststenotic Doppler spectra in the right brachial artery and inv erse flow in the vertebral artery suggested a subclavian stenotic process. Stenoses of the right subclavian artery and truncus brachiocephalicus were localized by color Doppler sonography and angiography. After intercurrent t ransitory ischemia attacks under immunosuppressive medication the patient u nderwent vascular surgery. The histological findings were consistent with T akayasu's disease. The patient remains under interdisciplinary and angiolog ical treatment.