Nasal septal perforation in a patient with Takayasu's arteritis; a rare association

Abstract

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic progressive, granulomatous inflammation of the aorta and its major branches, and is diagnosed often only in the late stage. The late phase of disease is characterized by variety of ischemic symptoms due to stenosis or occlusion of the major arteries. Although major neurological events such as stroke, transient ischemic attacks, and seizures due to either progressive arterial stenosis or hypertension, are reported to occur in one-fifth of the patients, nasal septal perforation has not been previously reported. Herein we present a young woman with TA who was hospitalized with left hemiparesis due to occlusion of stented carotid artery. Her clinical course was also complicated with nasal septal perforation. This case suggested that nasal septal perforation could be a rare complication of TA and might be considered as a part of the clinical spectrum of the disease. © 2009 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.