Takayasu's arteritis: oral complications and dental guidelines

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is an inflammatory disease with an unknown cause. It is also known as aortic arch syndrome and pulseless disease. Complications of TA often include cerebral infarct, valvular heart disease, intracranial hemorrhage, congestive heart failure, seizures, retinopathy, and renovascular hypertension. We report a case of an 18-year-old female patient with TA who presented with a severe oral infection associated with a mandibular third molar. Such a complication in patients with TA is rare and this is probably the first reported case in the English medical literature. The patient was managed satisfactorily, with due precautions and no recurrence. More so, as the prognosis of TA has improved, the chances of dental treatments of patients afflicted with the same are likely to increase. In addition, this article highlights the guidelines for the management of patients in various dental specialties.