Takayasu's aortitis with dissection in systemic lupus erythematosus.

A forty-seven-year-old Japanese woman under treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), complained of severe back pain. Chest X-ray and MRI showed an aneurysmal dilatation of the ascending aorta. Subsequently an aortic replacement was performed. Microscopically, the resected aorta showed Takayasu's aortitis with chronic dissection. Both aortitis and dissection are rare events in SLE patients. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Takayasu's aortitis with dissection in a patient with SLE.