Takayasu's or tuberculous arteritis?

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a large vessel vasculitis of unknown aetiology characterised by involvement of the aorta and its major branches. Tuberculous arteritis of the aorta is an uncommon condition usually secondary to the dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection from the mediastinum and/or lung to the adjacent aorta; this may mimic TA. We report a case of a 23-year-old woman with cutaneous granulomatous vasculitis and saccular aneurysmal dilation of the aorta and large vessels, and highlight the findings shared by TA and tuberculous arteritis. 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.