Rheumatoid arthritis-associated aortitis: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorder that primarily affects the synovial joints. Rheumatoid vasculitis (RV) is an extra-articular manifestation of RA, and its association with aortitis is rare and not widely recognised. Here, we report the case of a 69-year-old woman with RA-associated aortitis and review the literature on rheumatoid aortitis. The mean oral steroid dose administered to RA-associated aortitis patients was 46.3 mg/day prednisolone (PSL). In our patient, the aortitis was also thought to be due to RV because she had findings of RV, such as cutaneous ulceration and a high rheumatoid factor titre, and because a moderate PSL dose dramatically improved the clinical findings. RA-associated aortitis, if left untreated, can be fatal; therefore, early detection and treatment initiation is very important.