INTRODUCTION: Takayasu aortitis is a well known yet rare form of large vessel 
vasculitis. Also known as pulseless disease, occlusive thromboaortopathy, and 
Martorell syndrome, is a chronic inflammatory aortitis. Vessel inflammation 
leads to wall thickening, fibrosis, stenosis, and thrombus formation.
METHODS: A 64-year-old woman was referred to emergency for lack of pulse in the 
upper and lower limbs and changes in heart rate. AngioRMN revealed dissection of 
the ascending aorta while in PET, intense uptake of FDG-F18 involving ascending, 
crossa, descending thoracic and abdominal segments of the aorta, was evident 
urgent surgical correction occurred. An aorta ring segment with 2.5cm length, 
showed whitish and smooth intimate, with linear transversal laceration, with 
regular borders. Dissection 1cm long of the medial tunica was occupied by a clot 
in continuity with a thrombus occupying the neoformed lumen.
RESULTS: Microscopy examination confirmed hyalinization of the tunica media with 
impregnation of fibrin / thrombus with blood cell elements. Endothelial 
inflammatory characteristics together with vasa vasorum and vascular trajectory 
of the periphery of the tunica media with inflammatory cells involvement allowed 
the diagnosis of Takayasu aortitis.
CONCLUSION: Takayasu aortitis is rare in the presented age group, with early 
non-specific symptoms. The diagnosis of aortic dissection was crucial, 
constituting a medical emergency. Heather L-Gomik (2008) supports the hyaline 
structural alteration of the tunica media. The disease has been recognized for 
more than 100 years, and patients with Takayasu aortitis remain relatively poor 
and treatment is suboptimal. Key areas for improvement include the need for 
increase disease awareness and earlier diagnosis, and improved means for 
monitoring disease activity. The demonstration of diferential expression of 
Toll-like receptors in arteries, is particularly intriguing and worthy of 
further investigation.