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Published 8 May 2009
Cite this as: BMJ Case Reports 2009 [doi:10.1136/bcr.01.2009.1480]
Copyright © 2009 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Reminder of important clinical lesson

A 14-year-old girl with a sudden arm swelling after axillary depilatory wax

Agata Vitale1, Fernanda Falcini2, Giovanni Conti1, Francesco La Torre1, Carmelo Fede1, Gabriele Delia3, Giuseppina Calcagno1

1 University of Messina, Department of Paediatrics, Paediatric Nephrology and Rheumatology Unit, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Messina, 98125, Italy
2 University of Florence, Department of Biomedicine, Division of Rheumatology, Transition Unit, Viale Pieraccini, Florence, 50139, Italy
3 University of Messina, Department of Surgical Sciences, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Messina, 98125, Italy

Correspondence to:
Agata Vitale, vitale{at}interfree.it

SUMMARY

Takayasu’s arteritis is a systemic vasculitis predominantly affecting the aorta and its major branches. We report a 14-year-old girl in whom incidentally a deep upper limb vein thrombosis was found. She was referred to the emergency unit due to swelling and intermittent cyanosis of the right arm following an axillary depilatory wax. High-resolution echo colour Doppler ultrasonography showed a deep vein thrombosis with thickening of the proximal common carotids. A diagnosis of type IIb Takayasu’s arteritis was made. The patient’s history revealed fatigue, myalgia and headache. Immunosuppressive treatment and anticoagulation were introduced with a rapid and sustained improvement.


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