Back Pain: A Rare Presentation of Takayasu Arteritis

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory large-vessel vasculitis of the aorta and its major branches. It is a relatively rare disease, which presents with a wide spectrum of clinical features. Back pain is, however, rarely described to be a presenting symptom of TA. We report a case of a 28-year-old female with no known co-morbidity, who presented with back pain along with intermittent fever, dry cough, and significant weight loss. After an extensive inpatient workup, a computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast of chest and abdomen revealed evidence of vasculitis involving aorta, common carotid arteries, renal arteries, common iliac arteries as well as external and internal iliac arteries. A confirmatory CT abdominal aortography established the diagnosis of TA. The patient was treated with long-term oral corticosteroid therapy. Our case highlights that while assessing nonspecific back pain with elevated inflammatory parameters, particularly in young women, TA should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses.