Some new conditions

Here are some of the conditions I've come across over the last few days:

Takayasu's arteritis

• A vasculitis of large vessels that particularly affects the aorta and its primary branches.
• More common in women and typically presents before the age of 40.
• Typical symptoms include limb claudication on exertion, chest pain and systemic symptoms of weight loss, fatigue, low-grade fever and myalgia.
• On examination vascular bruits may be audible over the carotids, abdominal aorta or subclavian vessels. Unequal blood pressures may be recorded between sides and a murmur of aortic regurgitation may be heard if there is aortic-root dilatation.
• The diagnosis is usually made by vascular imaging.
• Corticosteroids form the mainstay of treatment with the additional use of steroid-sparing immunosuppressive agents for resistant disease. Surgery may be required for established complications.
• Long-term complications are due mainly to arterial occlusion and related damage, including limb ischaemia and renal failure.

DVT in a young male

28 year-old male presented with symptoms consistent with a pulmonary embolism secondary to deep vein thrombosis. Quite unusual in one so young. There was no history of trauma, recent air travel or any other risk factors. Possible aetiologies:

• Genetic
• Factor V Leiden
• Prothrombin mutation
• Protein C or S deficiency
• Antithrombin deficiency
• Antiphospholipid syndrome 
• Associated with SLE?
• Unusual in a young male
• Malignancy