| Popis: |
Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. The mechanism of this disease is not exactly defined. The inflammatory process is generally (but not exclusively) initiated in the second or third decade of life through the actions of non-specific inflammatory cells. As the disease progresses, fibrotic stenosis occurs in aorta and its main branches. The consequence of this inflammatory process can be stenosis, thrombosis, dilatation or aneurysm formation in aorta and/ or its branches. In Asia, its incidence (2.69 in a million per year) has been reported to be 100 times higher than in Europe and North America. Because of the delay in diagnosing the disease, patients often experience claudication, absence of pulses, hypertension, myocardial infarction (MI), and cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs). Accurate and early diagnosis of TA can reduce the economic, social, and psychological burdens. We present clinical, laboratory and imaging findings of a 15 years old girl with TA, who initially presented with clinical manifestations of stroke in form of weakness in Lt Side upper and lower limb and aphasia. The rarity of the disease and especially such a presentation can cause considerable delay in the diagnosis and treatment. Key words: Takayasu arteritis, Cerebrovascular accident, Infarction, physical therapy. |
