Value of carotid artery tenderness for the early diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis.

The early diagnosis and treatment of Takayasu arteritis (TA) is crucial to prevent the devastating complications of vascular insufficiency. This report describes a patient with a persistent fever in whom carotid artery tenderness led to a diagnosis of TA. This case suggests that carotid artery tenderness is a useful physical finding that warrants 2-deoxy-2-[Fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography to confirm a diagnosis of early TA.