Torre Salvatore, Caramaschi Paola, Faggian Giuseppe, Luciani Giovanni Battista
Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Ann Thorac Surg. 2017 Jul;104(1):e35-e37. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2017.01.121.
Takayasu arteritis is a panarteritis of unknown etiology involving the aorta and its main branches, with higher prevalence in women and peak of incidence in the second and third decades of life. Up to 30% of patients have coronary lesions and aortic valve involvement. Presentation mimicking aortic dissection is quite rare. Here described is the case of a young patient, presenting with an acute coronary syndrome associated with severe aortic regurgitation, who underwent emergent surgery with the suspicion of acute aortic dissection. The diagnostic and therapeutic implications are discussed.
