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Large-vessel arteritis associated with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection
1Tohoku University School of Medicine, and Tohoku Welfare Pension Hospital, Sendai, Japan.
Arthritis and Rheumatism
|March 4, 1998
Summary
A rare case of large-vessel arteritis linked to chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection was observed in a child. The autopsy revealed widespread arterial damage, distinct from other known vasculitides.
Area of Science:
- Pathology
- Virology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Large-vessel arteritis is a serious condition affecting major arteries.
- Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection can have diverse clinical manifestations.
Observation:
- An autopsy case of a 10-year-old girl with extensive arterial involvement, including coronary, carotid, subclavian, and iliac arteries, as well as the aorta.
- The affected arteries exhibited aneurysmal dilation and histopathological features of mesoarteritis with medial destruction and intimal thickening.
Findings:
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was detected in diseased aortic tissue and infiltrating lymphocytes.
- Histopathology showed T lymphocyte infiltration around vasa vasorum and medial elastic lamina destruction.
Implications:
- This case suggests a potential association between chronic active EBV infection and a unique form of large-vessel arteritis.
- The distinct clinical and pathological features differentiate this arteritis from Kawasaki disease and Takayasu arteritis, highlighting the need for considering viral etiologies in vasculitis.