Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10130055 | Journal of Vascular Surgery Cases and Innovative Techniques | 2018 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Giant cell arteritis is an inflammatory vasculopathy of unknown etiology that typically affects the carotid artery and its branches. Symptomatic involvement of upper extremity arteries is uncommon. We report a case of a 70-year-old woman with polymyalgia rheumatica who presented with critical arm ischemia, constitutional symptoms, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Urgent revascularization by a carotid-brachial artery bypass was performed. Histopathologic evaluation of a specimen obtained intraoperatively from the occluded axillary artery confirmed the diagnosis, and corticosteroid therapy was initiated. Large-vessel vasculitis should be considered a rare differential diagnosis in occlusive disease of the upper extremity.
Keywords
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Authors
Thomas MD, Hannes MD, Markus MD, PhD, Rene MD, Gregor Sulzbacher, Andreas MD,