Treatment of mesenteric angina in patients with Takayasu's arteritis

Abstract

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory disease of the connective tissue that affects mainly the aorta and its branches. Treatment is mainly based on corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. We report the case of a 33-year-old female complaining of malaise, fever, myalgia, severe pulsing holocranial headache resistant to analgesics, systemic arterial hypertension hard to control, right lower limb claudication, and severe abdominal pain that worsened after the meals. Angiotomography revealed aneurysm of the ascending aorta, and stenosis of the following vessels: right common iliac artery, renal arteries, and superior mesenteric artery. Those findings supported the diagnosis of mesenteric angina and the interventional approach by use of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stent placement.