Takayasu's arteritis associated with Crohn's disease

Takayasu's arteritis (TA), also known as the "pulseless disease," is a chronic vasculitis of the aorta and aortic branches. TA with Crohn's disease is rare and has not been documented in China before. In this paper we report on a case of Takayasu's arteritis associated with concurrent Crohn's disease. A 17-year-old Chinese male developed upper limb sourness and a sensation of fatigue, and his upper limb pulses were absent. He was diagnosed with TA and underwent an axillary artery bypass with autologous great saphenous vein on the left subclavian artery. After the surgery, he regained the normal blood pressure. This patient also had years of diarrhea and developed an anal canal ulcer, and was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis before. Five months after the TA surgery, he was hospitalized for severe stomachache and diarrhea and was finally diagnosed with Crohn's disease. The possible pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for concurrent existence of TA and Crohn's disease may be associated with immune disorders, especially autoimmunity.