Delayed diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis: total abdominal aorta occlusion treated with axillo-bifemoral bypass.

Takayasu's arteritis is an inflammatory vasculitis that primarily affects the aorta and its major brances. Delayed diagnosis is common, and is largely attributed to the variable and nonspecific presentation of the initial symptoms. Involvement of the obdominal aorta causes severe claudication of the lower extremities, and bypass surgery is required in some cases. We describe a case in which diagnosis was delayed. Total occlusion of the obdominal aorta was successfully treated with axillobifemoral bypass.