2012 Articles

Takayasu's Arteritis in a Patient with Sydenham's Chorea: Is There an Association?

Vale, Thiago Cardoso; Maciel, Ricardo Oliveira Horta; Maia, Debora; Beato, Rogerio; Cardoso, Francisco

Background: Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) has been associated with many conditions. Herein described is a case of TA in a patient with rheumatic fever complicated with Sydenham’s chorea. Case Report: A 17-year-old female presented at age 6 with rheumatic fever followed by chorea a month later. At the age of 16, she developed a blood pressure discrepancy between the arms and faint pulses. Computed tomography angiography revealed diffuse aortic involvement and narrowing of the arteries. Discussion: The presence of rheumatic fever and Sydenham’s chorea in TA raises the possibility of an immunological basis for the pathogenesis of the disease.