A 31-year-old woman was admitted because of hypertension. She often had unexplained fever and had taken tranquilizers due to general malaise, with little effect, for a few months before admission. The symptoms had gradually improved and completely disappeared 2 months earlier. On admission, her blood pressure was 183/85 mmHg, but the remainder of the examination was normal. Carotid ultrasound showed diffuse, homogeneous wall thickening of the bilateral common carotid arteries (Picture A, long-axis; Picture B, short-axis), known as the "macaroni sign" (1, 2). The diagnosis of renovascular hypertension due to Takayasu arteritis was finally made. Takayasu arteritis is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis characterized by stenosis or obliteration of the aorta and its major branches predominantly in young women. Corticosteroid was not administered because of the lack of inflammatory signs. The blood pressure normalized after successful balloon renal angioplasty. She has remained well for over a year, but the macaroni sign has not changed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.