An unusual case of Takayasu arteritis presenting with persistent cough in a young female patient: A case report

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory arteritis of large vessels. Females aged 20-40 are usually affected and the manifestations can range from asymptomatic disease to major cardiovascular and neurological abnormalities. Herein, we present a case of a 20-year-old female who had a persistent cough as the initial manifestation of an underlying TA. She had a free past medical history. The patient sought medical help multiple times and took many antibiotics with no improvement. Laboratory tests showed a marked elevation in inflammatory markers so the patient was admitted for further investigations. CT scan showed a circumferential mural thickening involving mainly the descending thoracic aorta which is highly suggestive of an underlying chronic granulomatous vasculitis behind this. Our patient was treated with a combination of corticosteroid and azathioprine and showed substantial improvement after 2 weeks. TA can present with various symptoms. Therefore, patients presenting with atypical symptoms and late-onset vascular symptoms need a high degree of suspicion with close follow-up to allow early detection of any complication.