Vascular imaging: Takayasu arteritis: practice question

A Radiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Radiology · Vascular imaging: Takayasu arteritis

Sample item

A 25-year-old woman has absent left radial pulse, a blood pressure difference between the arms and fatigue. CT angiography shows concentric, long segment thickening of the aortic arch and left subclavian wall with luminal narrowing. What is the diagnosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Takayasu arteritis

Takayasu arteritis is a large vessel vasculitis of young women that affects the aorta and its branches and shows smooth, concentric mural thickening with stenosis or aneurysm. Pulseless disease is another name for it.

Option by option

  • A. Giant cell arteritis

    Giant cell arteritis occurs after age 50 and mainly affects cranial branches.

  • B. Atherosclerosis

    Atherosclerosis causes eccentric calcified plaques in older patients.

  • C. Marfan syndrome

    Marfan syndrome causes aortic root dilation and dissection, not concentric thickening.

  • D. Takayasu arteritis (correct)

    Correct. Young woman, arm pulse deficit and concentric wall thickening point to Takayasu.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is D, Takayasu arteritis. Takayasu arteritis is a large vessel vasculitis of young women that affects the aorta and its branches and shows smooth, concentric mural thickening with stenosis or aneurysm.

Why is "Giant cell arteritis" not the answer?

Giant cell arteritis occurs after age 50 and mainly affects cranial branches.

Why is "Atherosclerosis" not the answer?

Atherosclerosis causes eccentric calcified plaques in older patients.

Why is "Marfan syndrome" not the answer?

Marfan syndrome causes aortic root dilation and dissection, not concentric thickening.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Vascular imaging: Takayasu arteritis in Radiology. Pulseless disease is another name for it.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Vascular imaging: Takayasu arteritis?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.