Giant cell aortitis

Inflammatory aortic diseases are broadly classified into three categories according to the degree of inflammation: atherosclerosis, atherosclerosis with excessive inflammation, and aortitis/periaortitis. This paper presents a case of a 39-year old man with aneurysmal dilatation of thoracic aorta and aortic valve insufficiency. The aortic wall showed thickening and wrinkled "tree bark" appearance as well as apparent scarring of the intima. Histological examination revealed intimal hyperplasia, a granulomatous/giant cell pattern in the inner tunica media, a few epithelioid macrophages, abundant chronic lymphoplasmacytic and histiocytic inflammation and discrete fibrinoid necrosis. The histological findings were indicative of Horton's disease, but no typical clinical features were present. The case illustrates the difficulties involved in diagnosing inflammatory aortic diseases where it may be challenging to arrive at a specific diagnosis despite the knowledge of medical history, and available macroscopic and histological findings.