Coexistence of Takayasu Arteritis and Crohn’s Disease in a Maltese Patient

Abstract

Takayasu arteritis (TA) and Crohn’s disease (CD) are uncommon chronic granulomatous disorders affecting the large arteries and the gastrointestinal tract, respectively. At least 40 occurrences of these two conditions in the same patient have been reported in the literature, raising the possibility of an association between them. We report the coexistence of TA and CD in a young Maltese patient and review the literature to discuss possible aetiological mechanisms that might explain this association.