Large-vessel vasculitis and Q fever correlation
  • Joana C. Ramos
    Internal Medicine Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal
  • Daniela Santos
    Internal Medicine Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal
  • Patrícia Dias
    Internal Medicine Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal

Keywords

Large-vessel vasculitis, Q fever, FDG-PET/CT scan

Abstract

Q fever is a zoonotic infection caused by the pathogen Coxiella burnetii, and patients can present with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, depending on whether it is an acute or a chronic infection.
We present the case of a 61-year-old male with fatigue, posterior thoracalgia, intermittent fever, night sweats and weight loss for a month. After an extensive workup, he was diagnosed with acute Q fever with large-vessel vasculitis. The FDG-PET/CT scan suggested an active vasculitis specifically in the thoracic aorta, proximal abdominal aorta, subclavian and carotid vessels, suggesting an immunologic response to acute Q fever infection, barely reported worldwide.

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    Published: 2023-12-15
    Issue: 2024: Vol 11 No 1 (view)

    How to cite:
    1.
    Ramos JC, Santos D, Dias P. Large-vessel vasculitis and Q fever correlation. EJCRIM 2023;11 doi:10.12890/2023_004110.