[A case of systemic sclerosis complicated by Takayasu's arteritis]

We report a case of systemic sclerosis complicated by Takayasu's arteritis. A 68-year-old woman had been treated for hypertension since 1984. She also had Raynaud's phenomenon and noticed vertigo and dizziness. In January 1992, she was diagnosed with back bruit. In April 1994, she was complicated by vertigo and diagnosed with asymmetrical blood pressure. In October 1998, she consulted our hospital because of neck bruit, abdominal bruit, back bruit and stenosis of descending aorta bifurcation on chest computed tomography. Her blood pressure was asymmetrical, being recorded as 190/101 on the right and 140/90 on the left. Scleroderma was observed from the finger to forehand, precordia, and face. Telangiectasia was observed on the precordia. Laboratory studies revealed the presence of anti-nuclear antibody (x 1280, discrete speckled.), anti-centromere antibody but anti-topoisomerasel antibody was negative. Skin biopsy from the left forehand detected proliferation of collgen fibers and perivascular inflammatory cell infiltration. A diagnosis of systemic sclerosis was made according to the American Rheumatism Association criteria. We suspected complication by Takayasu's arteritis because of asymmetrical blood pressure and bruit. Chest-abdominal angiography detected stenosis of the right brachiocephalic trunk, celiac artery, and left renal artery. We diagnosed Takayasu's arteritis. This is the second case report of a patient with systemic sclerosis complicated by Takayasu's arteritis.