Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jul;44(7):3083-3089.
doi: 10.1007/s10067-025-07501-0. Epub 2025 May 22.

Takayasu arteritis complicated by SAPHO syndrome: A case-based review

Shu Sugimoto  1 , Dai Kishida  2 , Tatsuya Kobayashi  1 , Naoki Tanomogi  1 , Jun-Ichi Kurashina  1 , Takanori Ichikawa  1 , Yasuhiro Shimojima  1 , Yoshiki Sekijima  1
Affiliations
Review

Takayasu arteritis complicated by SAPHO syndrome: A case-based review

Shu Sugimoto et al. Clin Rheumatol. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is often associated with other inflammatory diseases. Here, we describe two Japanese patients with TAK complicated by synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome. Both patients presented with anterior chest pain as their chief complaint and were diagnosed with TAK following SAPHO syndrome. Treatment with glucocorticoids and biological agents led to a rapid improvement in symptoms. A review of the literature identified 11 additional cases of TAK complicated by SAPHO syndrome. SAPHO syndrome frequently precedes TAK, with the diagnostic interval between the two diseases ranging from 1 month to 12 years. No clear association was found between the sites of osteoarticular and vascular involvement. These findings suggest that SAPHO syndrome may be a comorbid condition in patients with TAK. As TAK may develop several years after the diagnosis of SAPHO syndrome, clinicians should consider the possibility of TAK in patients presenting with severe inflammation that cannot be fully explained by SAPHO syndrome alone.

Keywords: Biological agents; Chest pain; SAPHO syndrome; Takayasu arteritis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics statement for the use of human and animal subjects(may require consent to participate and consent to publish for human subjects): This case-based review did not require ethical approval according to the policy of Shinshu University School of Medicine. Informed consent was obtained from the patients for publication. Consent for publication: Informed consent was obtained from the patients for publication. Competing interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A Chest magnetic resonance imaging showing high-intensity areas in the sternoclavicular and sternocostal joints. B C Chest computed tomography demonstrating circumferential thickening with a contrast effect of the ascending to descending aorta, bilateral common carotid arteries, and the left subclavian artery
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A 99 m-Tc bone scintigraphy showing tracer accumulation in the first sternal rib joint. B C Chest CT demonstrating circumferential wall thickening with a contrast effect of the ascending to descending aorta, bilateral common carotid arteries, the left subclavian artery, and the main trunk of the pulmonary artery
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Windom RE, Sanford JP, Ziff M (1961) Acne conglobata and arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 4:632–635. 10.1002/art.1780040609 - PubMed
    1. Cl B et al (1988) Synovitis-acne-pustulosis hyperostosis-osteomyelitis syndrome (Sapho): a new syndrome among the spodyloarthropathies? Clin Exp Rheumatol. 6:109–12 - PubMed
    1. Kahn MF, Khan MA (1994) The SAPHO syndrome. Baillieres Clin Rheumatol 8(2):333–362. 10.1016/s0950-3579(94)80022-7 - PubMed
    1. Kishimoto M, Taniguchi Y, Tsuji S, Ishihara Y, Deshpande GA, Maeda K et al (2022) SAPHO syndrome and pustulotic arthro-osteitis. Mod Rheumatol 32(4):665–674. 10.1093/mr/roab103 - PubMed
    1. Liu S, Tang M, Cao Y, Li C (2020) Synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis syndrome: review and update. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis 12:1759720X20912865. 10.1177/1759720X20912865 - PMC - PubMed

Substances

LinkOut - more resources